Where The Wind Blows
by Anotherjaneway
Summary: Station 51 meets an icon. The wind causes trouble both in the city and out in the countryside.


This is a text version of the original still airing imaged, music soundtracked story.

Emergency Theater Live, Episode Twenty Nine

29. Where The Wind Blows Season Four- Episode 29 Short summary-  
Station 51 meets an icon. The wind causes trouble both in the city and out in the countryside.

****WARNING**** The long summary to come is very story spoiling and will take away plot surprises if you read it now before reading the longer story below it.

Decide now if you want to read this episode's detailed summary before doing so.

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Long Summary-  
The gang complains about the windy morning. They receive a call to attend a radio antennae collapsed onto a residential house. CHiPs officers Poncherello and Baker get a tour of the hospital base station before they leave to go back to the freeway system. Gage and DeSoto make a pact to figure out a way to calm patients down on tense rescue scenes using psych techniques and decide to use their coworkers as guinea pigs. Chief McConnikee helps himself to Gage's guitar.  
Station 51 responds to a man down from an explosion at the docks and treat a deafened famous country western singer. Dixie gets to hear a new song the singer has yet to publish a capella and is deeply touched. Days later, the paramedics receive an invite from the singer to do some beach horseback riding. They receive word about a downed hiker nearby who jumped off a cliff to get away from his wind fanned up campfire. A pilot/orthopedic hiking surgeon arrives and performs a needle evacuation on his friend's leg to restore circulation to it. The fire worsens and Roy and Johnny and the doctor are forced to use fire shelters to escape the firestorm. The MD suffers an asthma attack and is treated.  
In a bar, the gang goes to the country singer's concert and is surprised when Gage is invited up on stage and plays side by side with him, singing an absolutely beautiful new, unreleased song called Windsong.( Brice covers him, playing the bongos. :) )

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The Story Unfolds...

Season Four, Episode Twenty Nine.  
Where The Wind Blows Debut Launch: January 1st, 2006. *  
From: "Derrick" Date: Thu Dec 29, 2005 3:36 am through Wed Jan 4, 2006 12:29 am Subject: Up and At 'Em

Johnny Gage's alarm clock radio popped on in his Marina Del Rey apartment at 5:30 in the morning.

It was time to get up and prepare for another shift at Station 51. And his radio was tuned to KROR 99.9 FM "The Roar", one of the FM hard rock station in Los Angeles, where Ken Kruiser, a popular morning dj, was on the air.

The dj said to his audience. ##Wake up L.A., it's half past the six o' clock hour. Time for you working folks to get up for another day of work, and for you kids listening, to get your butts to school on this windy Thursday morning. Here is your weather. The weatherman is calling for patchy morning fog along the coastline and partly cloudy skies inland with a slight chance of a shower or two after the noon hour. Your highs today in the City of Angels and surrounding vicinity will be in the upper 60's along the coast to the mid 80's inland.  
The overnight lows will be from the low to upper 50's, with those pesky Santa Ana winds kicking up in gusts of up to 50 miles per hour by this afternoon. A red flag warning is in effect for the hills and canyons so be careful with fire.##

::Now he tells us.:: thought Gage.

With that in mind, Johnny knew that it was going to be a long day.

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Gage arrived two minutes too late at the station for the start of his shift and said. "Well, good morning all. Windy out there, ain't it? I--"

Captain Stanley interrupted Gage and said. "Good morning to you,  
too, Johnny. I don't want to ruin your day but may I remind you that you are now three minutes late? That means that you have exactly two minutes to get in uniform and report to the living room. You too, Chet."

Chet Kelly tried to make up a good excuse for his tardiness,  
replying. "Cap, you know how hard I try to be here on time, but the traffic is murder out there! Especially with the wind blowing!"

Gage agreed with Chet. "It's still early, you know what I mean?"

Then Captain Stanley stated. "Well, o.k. But don't make it a habit.  
McConnikee has been on my back about this. And I agree, this new starting time for our shift at seven in the morning just doesn't make sense." The captain yawned as he finished his conversation. "I kind of cut it close getting in here myself. I'm still tired."

As Kelly and Gage entered the kitchen for coffee and exchanging hellos with the rest of the crew, Marco Lopez was looking out the back door window. He said, laughing. "Geez , you've got to see this. The wind just picked up a trash can and tossed it like a rag doll down the street! There's trash everywhere!"

"No kidding?" said Roy DeSoto. "Our neighbor had a tree branch land on a power transformer early this morning and it knocked the power out to the whole neighborhood for two hours."

"Two hours? Why so long?" Marco inquired.

"Because that's how long it took before Pacific Gas and Electric could get out there with a boom truck to get it down and restore the power. As a matter of fact, they had just turned it back on when I left this morning. The guy told me that they were already ten calls behind and they were still getting calls for more help by the time they got to us."

"Wow, looks like we may be in for a busy day." replied Marco as Henry the station's basset hound mascot sunk his head into the couch in a sign of pity for the guys.

Chet Kelly scratched his nose. Henry's too.  
"I remember one time when I was over at 7's when a power pole fell onto a house up in the hills near Bel Air. Huge house. And it had squished it right in half! The wind took the pole right off of its base and we had sparks flying and arching wires everywhere. It was absolutely a miracle that no one got killed." he added.

Mike Stoker had another story to tell.  
"When I was up at 69's, we had Santa Anas up to seventy miles per hour. We had a whole family with seven kids in a station wagon that had blown off Altadena Pass Road and rolled off to the side about ten feet down an embankment. That was a miracle there too because the way it looked, we thought that everyone would be dead or at least, badly hurt. But it turned out that everyone only had just a few bumps and bruises.  
That's all. We were glad to be out of there with them when a spark caused the gas tank to explode, which then caused a five alarm brush assignment! I think we were there all night putting that one out."

Hank swallowed a bite of donut.  
"When I was working at 58's, we had an assignment where one of those steel power poles somehow blew over onto the tower of that shortwave radio station in Idaho Canyon. McConnikee was walking up to inspect the damage to the tower itself when a gust of wind caught him off guard and blew him right onto his rear. We all got a good chuckle out of that! Like the saying goes, once a b----- ."

Captain Stanley was interrupted as the station's tones sounded.  
##Station 51, Engine 95. Antennae on top of a structure. Two seniors trapped. 11864 Pocohontas Circle. 11864 Pocohontas Circle. Cross street, Alta Vista. Time out: 0714.## The firemen scrambled to both the squad and engine as Captain Stanley acknowledged Sam Lanier's urgent dispatch.

"Station 51, 10-4, KMG 365." he replied on the mobile radio inside the Ward La France engine.

Both the squad and engine left with lights flashing, sirens wailing, and air horns blasting on the way to the scene which would take them seven minutes to get there by the fastest route.  
::But seven minutes can seem like an eternity for those in need of help inside the damaged home, especially if you are elderly.:: thought Cap.

According to the mail box, the house that the firemen could see they had the response to, belonged to Mr. Frederick Risenborough and his wife Carolyn. Cap saw that it was a modest home, most likely with a couple of bathrooms, a den, maybe four bedrooms, and a large backyard with a barbeque pit and wooden deck. There was also a three car garage, some fireplaces due to the type of chimneys Hank could see, and a built-in swimming pool round the side.

Now, it was a pile of rubble. And the fate of its occupants was still unknown according to the police over the radio.

Soon enough, Station 51's crew pulled closer onto the scene where they were greeted by Officer Howard as they exited their vehicles.

Officer Howard explained that the upright base station radio antennae in the back yard of one of the next door neighbors had snapped near the base and had landed on the roof of the house. He said that the neighbors had built and used it to pull in ham and shortwave radio transmissions. "It used to be about seventy feet tall." he said.

Captain Stanley noticed that the antennae was also lying across some power lines. He told Officer Howard. "Well, Vince, before we do anything we have to get the power turned off. Are there any other outages in the area?"

"None that I know of, Hank. But there may be in the rest of the neighborhood. Anything I can do?"

"Why don't you keep any onlookers and cars out of the area except for immediate witnesses. Also see if you can get a crane to clean this mess up later on. O.k., pal?" asked Captain Stanley.

"Will do." Vince said.

Cap got back in the engine cab to give out his report.  
"L.A., Engine 51. I have a heavy steel radio transmitting and receiving antennae approximately seventy feet tall on top of a residential structure with two elderly people perhaps still trapped inside at this time. Send a truck company for assistance in rescue operations and an ambulance. Notify PG and E and have them expedite if all possible. Advise of their ETAs."

##10-4, Engine 51.## dispatcher Lanier replied.

The firemen tried to find their way around the house safely to make their initial damage assessment so they could identify how to gain access and locate potential hazards, including the antennae on top of it. They also had to decide what resources they would need as far as equipment and manpower was concerned.

Roy called over to Captain Stanley. ##Squad 51 to Engine 51. We have located a way in on the west side of the house. We will need the Porta-Power, air bags, K-12, and the Hurst tool to gain access to the victims.## he said over his HT.

"Engine 51, Squad 51, 10-4. Engine 95! Assist my crew in any way you can." Captain Stanley ordered as he spotted Engine 95 was coming on scene.

##Engine 95, 10-4, Engine 51.## the engine's captain replied.

The scene action progressed.

Chet Kelly, with his gloved hands, used a crow bar to break out a bedroom window to allow the firefighters to get inside the house. He peeked inside the bedroom to look for obstacles that might impede their advance toward the victims and found a bureau dressing drawer in the way. He crawled through the window, able to pull himself up and through the couple of feet that separated the window from the ground.

Engine 95's crew hustled with a ladder to aid their fellow co-workers. Then they retreated with Station 51's crew to get more equipment to set it up.

Chet and Marco moved the dresser out of everyone's way, shoving it into a corner wall.

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Johnny got out the biocom and called into Rampart near where Dixie McCall was standing within earshot of the radio. The light flashed and the alert buzzer sounded as Johnny said. "Rampart base, County 51."

##Go ahead, 51.## Dixie replied.

"Rampart, we are at the scene of a rescue operation. We have a seventy foot steel antennae that has fallen on top of a house. It has trapped at least two victims inside. We are working to gain access at this time and will let you know when we have contact with them.  
We're estimating about a forty minute extrication time. Over."

As the conversation kept going on, Dr. Morton listened attentively as Nurse Mc Call stepped out of his way for him to use the radio. ##51, this is Rampart. We read you and are standing by. Is an ambulance there yet?##

"Affirmative, Rampart. It just arrived along with an engine, a truck company, and the Battalion Chief." Gage told him.

##Okay, transport as soon as possible but only after you give us a full report on your patients.## said Mike.

"10-4, Rampart." replied Gage and he headed from the squad back to Roy and the rest of the guys at the house.

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As the firemen made their way inside, Captain Stanley stood at the window where they had made entry as Chief McConnikee arrived to be filled in on the situation.

"Hank, what have you got?" McConnikee asked him.

"Bill, I have a seventy foot radio antennae that has collapsed on top of a house with two people trapped inside. My men along with 95's and the truck company I called are still gaining access. I've heard that they are older people." said Hank glancing over to the worried bystanders across the street. "I hope that we can get to them while they're still alive."

Chief McConnikee surveyed the damage to the roof and sighed, "I sure hope so."

Inside the house, the firemen made their way down a short hallway that had serious damage to the interior walls in which crumbled sheet rock and cracked paint and plaster lay. Ahead of them, there was a huge pile of rubble in what could have been the living and dining room. It was where the tower had landed. Roy called out to listen for a response from the victims they all thought were trapped there. ::I hope someone's conscious so we can have an open line of communication to them until we get there.:: thought Roy. "Hello. This is the fire department. Can anybody hear me?" he said.

There was an eerie silence.

"Hello! Fire department! Can anybody hear me?!" Roy DeSoto shouted louder.

There was still no response. ::We're not going to give up that easily.:: Roy decided mentally.

Johnny Gage, following behind Roy, shouted as loud as his voice could carry. "Hey! This is the Los Angeles County Fire Department. We are coming to get you out!"

Ten seconds later, there was a muffled cry ; a female voice within the rubble.

Roy, Johnny, and Marco heard the elderly woman with difficulty, but they smiled. They knew she had survived and perhaps her husband, too, if he was anywhere near by her.

The firemen urgently, but very carefully, placed their equipment down to get it ready to get to them both. They were especially careful to not cause any sudden moves.

The Battalion Chief, watching his men work, thought. ::A further collapse would endanger the lives of the other rescuers inside if they aren't.::

Johnny asked the woman. "Are you trapped?"

The woman replied. " ..*Gasp*...yes, help me. My husband is, too.  
He is out cold." came her muffled voice.

Johnny then asked. "Is he breathing?"

"...yes, but not that good..*gasp* I feel ..short of ....breath. Please get us out of here!"

"Okay. Stay still and we will have both of you out in a few minutes. There is going to be a lot of noise. That will just be the equipment we'll have working to get you out so try to relax." said Johnny through the tangle of debris still between them.

Captain Stanley said. "Chet, Marco. K-12 and easy with it.  
Henderson and Briggs from 95's, man the inch and a half just in case we spark something and the rest of you, start clearing out some of this debris as we go. Stoker, standby the biocom to Rampart."

"Okay, Cap." he replied.

All the firemen then busied themselves with their tasks.

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The wind outside made the shrubs, tree limbs and power lines dance. All loosened debris around them was being hurled through the air by it as it suddenly gusted up to forty five miles per hour.

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Inside the house, there was a loud creaking that seemed to be coming from the threshold leading from the hallway into the living room.

Captain Stanley, who was standing nearby, heard it and went to investigate. He knew that the supports to the roof had been pretty weakened and that the whole roof could cave in at any time, trapping everybody inside. He heard another groan above him just seconds later and ducked instinctively. He got on his portable radio to Chief McConnikee, who had since gone outside to head command the incident while standing on the street in view of the house. "Battalion 14, HT 51." Captain Stanley's voice crackled into his radio.

##Battalion 14. Go ahead, Hank.## McConnikee said.

"Battalion 14 , the roof on this structure is weakening as I speak and can go at any time. I have sixteen men getting to the victims inside and it will be at least another thirty minutes before we gain contact. But we maybe have fifteen to twenty only to get them out before this place falls down. Any suggestions?"

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Vince, overhearing Captain Stanley's radio conversation, said to Chief McConnikee. "I have men up on Alta Vista and Loma Prieta shutting down traffic, except for you guys, to come through. I put in for a crane to come even before you arrived. They should be here in twenty minutes." Vince said, looking at his watch.

McConnikee glanced up directly into Vince's eyes and replied. "I don't know if these guys have twenty minutes. Hank Stanley says that roof can go at absolutely any time. Is PG&E here yet?"

"They just got here a minute ago. They should have the power off by now." Vince said to him, looking around for the flash of utility lights.

It was then, they both noticed that the sparks and arching of the power lines that had fallen down because of the windstorm and the antennae, had all but died away.

:: are now a little safer for everyone.:: Bill thought. :: But the peril of the roof collapsing remains.:: the chief worried.  
Battalion radioed inside to Captain Stanley. "HT 51, Battalion 14. The power has been turned off. Repeat. The power is now off."  
##HT 51, 10-4. What now?##

"HT 51, you're going to have to step it up but be careful. Do you need additional manpower?" asked the chief.

Hank Stanley surveyed the scene in front of him and knew with about sixteen men, that he was fine. He conferred with Engine 95's Captain Eddie Green, a 26 year veteran, working near by.

Eddie nodded to Cap. "Another engine company would be nice. But we don't want too many cooks spoiling the pot. We'll be outta here sooner with just ours if we can push it a little."

Cap lifted his head sharply in agreement and turned back towards the victims' pocket. "Hey, let's hurry it up in there. The hallway roof's gonna go real soon and bring down the one above us with it." Hank Stanley warned everyone. Then he turned to Green. "Let's give these guys a hand, Eddie, ok?" Finally, he answered Battalion's question over the radio.  
"That's negative on additional manpower, Battalion 14." "HT 51, 10-4." McConnickee answered.

"Cap. We've made it to the victims!" Gage yelled.

"How are they?" Captain Stanley shouted back.

"....The lady is semi-conscious, but coherent. The man is unconscious. Responds to painful stimuli. Looks like they are both pinned down. The tower debris is lying on the lower part of their bodies. We'll need ....the airbags, jaws, ......and the Porta-Power to just lift it up off them a bit so we can get em' out." said Johnny.

Roy DeSoto then filled the captains in with their medical priorities and he said. "The older man goes first! We'll need O2 for both of them."

Captain Stanley ordered Mike Stoker out to the squad to get the O2 and he told Chet Kelly to retrieve the O2 kit off of the engine. Then he advised the chief on the portable radio about their reaching the victims inside and what their conditions were as both being trapped by their lower extremities. He shared also that Kelly and Stoker were on their way out of the house to get the medical equipment. ::Come on. We now have just fifteen minutes at the most to get them out before the roof collapses for good. Time's not on our side.:: worried Hank.

##Okay, Hank. It's too windy for me to be standing out here. I'm coming in to help." McConnikee replied.

Hank Stanley was suddenly concerned about his Battalion Chief.  
::Wow. I wonder if he can still hack it with the rest of the guys:  
Cap thought. Then he keyed the mic on his handheld. "All right, Battalion 14, 10-4. But be careful."  
Outside, Chief McConnikee popped open the trunk of his red battalion chief's car by pressing a button inside of it. He walked briskly to its back and put on his bunker pants after he had taken off his coat and helmet to get their suspenders onto his shoulders. Then, putting his bunker coat and white helmet back on, he made his way into the house with Stoker and Kelly who then followed behind him with the oxygen kits.

"Chief?" Lopez asked. "What are you doing in here?"

"I'm gonna help you guys. Maybe teach you all a thing or two while I'm at it. Hurry it up!" McConnikee said to Stoker behind him.

The chief got behind Captains Stanley and Green who were working the Porta-Power and he said to them. "Good. Keep going. Just a little more."

"Yes, Chief." replied Green.

"Henderson, as soon as you get the tower up a little with the jaws, get a good bite on those poles and a good lift on the tower struts. Stoker and I, with the other two guys here, will get those bags into proper position. We don't want any mistakes." Bill added.

"We've got four more air bottles off of the squad, chief. " shouted a young rookie firefighter of Oriental descent from Engine 95 as he propped them upright for the porta-power's hydraulic use.  
"Good, Tse. Set them up for 51's guys and fill the lift bladders fast." said McConnikee.

Gage returned to the biocom once again to advise Rampart of their current situation. "Rampart base, County 51.." he said.

Dr. Morton, still in charge of the base station over the call, re-entered the radio room and replied, ##Go ahead, 51.##

"Rampart, I am updating you about our situation. We have made contact with our victims and they are being extricated at this time. We have a shortened revised time of ten minutes due to the danger of roof collapse. As far as I can tell, we suspect both our victims' conditions as having critical lower extremity injuries and possible internal injuries to their abdominal cavities. The female is still semi-conscious. Earlier she was somewhat incoherent. The male is now responsive to verbal stimuli. We have them both on 15 liters of 02 via non-rebreathers. Over..." reported Johnny.

##51, can you visualize their upper extremities?## Dr . Morton inquired as Dixie and Dr. Brackett walked into the radio room to listen into what was going on.

"Uh,..stand by, Rampart. We have another development." Johnny replied at a sudden cessation in sawing noise behind him.

##Okay. Keep us posted.## Morton answered.

"What's going on?" Brackett asked Dr. Morton.

"Do you know the case we have been working with 51 for almost a half hour now?" Mike asked him.

Kel nodded.

"Well, it seems that they have gotten access to the patients and are extricating them now."

Brackett sagged in relief.

Mike shook his head. "However Kel, they are in immediate danger of having the roof collapsing right down on top of them. They're saying that it can go at any time."

Dr. Brackett and Dixie bowed their heads in deep concern.

Dr. Brackett sighed then, looking up."Well, I know that the boys, with enough help, can really get the job done. Let's hope for the best." he said.

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Meanwhile, the air bags were ready. The large black squares marked with an X to indicate area of placement, had been inflated fully. And with the other equipment in place, they had finally lifted the heavy antennae off of the victims. They had provided just enough space for the firefighters to move in to remove the injured couple.

"Okay, that's enough! Let's get them out of here." McConnikee shouted, bending low to see into the victims' gap. "Gimme the extrication collar for this man,.. uh-ah , what's your name?" the chief directed at Chet Kelly.

"Chet Kelly." Chet replied.

"Kelly. Right." The chief said. "Chet, get the second one while you're at it, too."

The chief shouted with dismay as another groan came from the roof above him. It seemed to be much louder than the first one heard by Captain Stanley, who was still working on locking off the Porta-Power with his friend, Captain Green.

Truck 11's Captain Marlon Hankins ran into the house. He was one of just three African-American captains that Hank knew about; a 20 year veteran of the County F.D.. Hankins ordered two of his men, Fisher and Jenkins, to get 51's back boards propped up against the wall behind the two other captains and nodded as Battalion told him the names of the victims that he had read off of the house's streetside mail box.

McConnikee made sure that he said them loud enough for all the rescuers around to hear as well.

Chief McConikee slipped the first collar easily behind the old man's neck, making sure to get the trachea hole facing center forward on it.  
He wrapped it around the man's neck then, to immobilize it. He spoke to Mr. Risenborough as Roy maintained manual traction to the man's head. "Sir, please don't move your head. I'm placing this collar around your neck just to remind you to keep your head still."

"Oh ,.... sonny . Please help. I hurt..... all over. I still can't...... move .....my legs! What's.... that..... board .....for ? " Mr. Risenborough gasped.

Roy explained to him.  
"It's to make your whole body immobile so we can keep your head, neck, back, and body straight, okay? We are going to roll you onto your side and place you onto this. Then we'll support your head with a head immobilizer and your body with straps. All right?"

The old man didn't reply. His attention was starting to drift.

McConnikee, Lopez, and Jenkins, rolled Mr. Risenborough easily onto the backboard as Johnny placed a HeadLoc device and its straps on that were still needed to safely remove him from entrapment.

The old man was soon carried out of the house and set onto the front lawn where it was truly safe.

The small crowd of onlookers, a few houses down, standing on a neighbor's plush, newly mowed lawn, applauded the firefighters as Mr. Risenborough was brought out. They had seen that he was in and out of consciousness; still alive.

Johnny, Chet, Hank, Wally Tse, and Tony Fisher were hard at work preparing to remove Mrs. Risenborough from the wreckage of the home. Davis, Truck Company 11's tillerman, dragged the biocom nearer to both the woman and the paramedics.

The roof let out a really loud groan above suddenly and some light roofing material showered onto Gage, Chet, and Fisher. They hit the floor protecting Mrs. Risenborough with their bodies as the others inside protected themselves by covering their helmeted heads.

"Everyone all right?!" Gage shouted, looking up, heavily frightened.

"Yes." Chet yelled after he had checked with the other guys in his group.

"Are you, too, ma'am?" Johnny asked Mrs. Risenborough.

"Yes! Just get me out of here. I ..*groan*...don't want to die now." she cried.

"You're not going to die, Mrs. Risenborough. We're taking you out of here right now." Johnny said .

"How's Fred? Where is he?" she asked, blinking in the falling dust.

Johnny said. "My partner Roy and some other firemen are taking care of him outside. I can tell you that he is alive, but he may be hurt bad." he told her truthfully.

Mrs. Risenborough's face twisted at the news.  
Gage reassured her. "Easy. We will do everything possible to help him and you, too. Okay?"

"Thank you. You paramedics are just wonderful." the old woman said.

"Thanks." said Johnny, trying to smile at her.

Johnny and the guys soon rushed Mrs. Risenborough outside and they placed her onto the grass next to her husband, positioned so that she could see him. He had had splints applied for fractures to his legs, hip, and for an ankle.

Gage could see that Roy was readying an I.V. of anticipated Lactated Ringers, that covered Dr. Morton's usual silent standing orders, stringing it out for him.

::I'll probably need one of those as well.:: he thought. Johnny began his full updated primary and secondary patient survey on Mrs. Risenborough.

Privately, 51's paramedics were also concerned about the status of the firefighters still inside. They both could see that only Captains Stanley and Green and two other of 11's firefighters were reported as out of the wreckage with their Porta-Power. Gage and DeSoto knew that Captain Hankins, along with his crew firefighters Henderson, Brown, Bridges, Collinsworth, Gentry, and Terrelli and a couple of others, were still inside taking down equipment.

::I hope they get out of the house before the roof collapses.:: Johnny thought as he treated his patient.

Time was running short.

Again, the roof gave out another loud and menacing groan, dumping more shattered material into the inside of the house.

Chief McConnikee, nearby, shouted into his radio.  
"HT 11, Battalion 14 . Get the h*** outta there, now! You might only have three minutes or less. Move it!" he told Hankins.

##Battalion 14, HT 11. We have gathered the gear and we're coming out now.## Captain Hankins replied.

As Hankins' firefighters and Stoker made their way, without incident, to the window through which they had all come, Johnny started relaxing while Roy got back on the biocom to Rampart.

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The incoming buzzer sounded at the hospital.  
Dr. Morton finished his second medical case off quickly. It was one from Squads 110 and 36, in which four patients had been injured due to an auto accident on the San Diego Freeway.

While he talked, Mike motion invited CHP officers Baker and Poncharello to listen in on Johnny's radio transmission. Mike had seen the two officers at the nurses station, filling out an unrelated accident report.

##Rampart base, County 51.## Roy called.

"Go ahead, 51. This is Rampart." said Dr. Morton.

##Rampart, we have extricated both victims successfully. Patient number one is a semi-conscious, but arousable seventy two year old male who's a critical trauma patient. He was trapped for approximately thirty five minutes due to a fallen radio tower antennae that collapsed from its base onto a house.  
It caused the roof severe structural damage. The victim was unresponsive when we initially arrived, but his LOC improved when O2 was given to him during his extrication.

##At this time, he has a fracture to his left ankle, left hip, and right femur. He is complaining of pain in the cervical spine but we're finding only tenderness. There's negative deformity to it. We also have found some abdominal swelling. He has no signs of distention. Negative on absent bowel sounds. Vitals are as follows : BP is 92/70. Pulse rate 116. Slightly abnormal, are respirations at twenty eight and shallow, but his SaO2 is at 98% on O2. He's on 15 liters per non-rebreather. The patient has a history of arthritis in his back for which he takes over the counter medications as needed. He has no known allergies. We have him fully immobilized on a long spine board with an extrication collar via HeadLoc, and straps. A Sager traction splint has been applied to the right femur fracture and the leg's now stabilized. Vacuum splints are also immobilizing the ankle. We're supporting the hip fracture, too, for pain relief. Any further?## DeSoto asked about medical orders.

Dr. Morton glanced down at the toggle switch and pressed it.  
"County 51, start an I.V. of Lactated Ringers, followed by piggyback I.V. of 250 milliliters D5/W t.k.o . Administer 5 milligrams Fentanyl I.V. Monitor his vitals and get him set to transport."

##10-4, Rampart. Stand by for patient number two.## replied Roy.

Johnny took over the biocom. "Rampart, County 51 with patient number two." he reconfirmed for the radio log.

"Go ahead, 51." Dr. Morton answered.

##Rampart, patient number two is a conscious, but somewhat disoriented seventy year old female. She's a potentially critical trauma patient from the same incident with the same length of entrapment to extrication time as patient number one. Her chief complaint is severe pain to her left femur, right foot and its tib-fib. She is complaining secondarily of minor c-spine and general back pain. She has pain in her left wrist and left hip. On exam, I found her to have an open fracture to the left femur with gross deformity. Absent distal pulses were present on first arrival. She has an open fracture of her right tib fib with moderate to gross deformity of the leg. Noted initially there, too, were no distal pulses. She has a closed fracture with deformity above the right foot. She also has tenderness and slight pain in her neck and back with a small contusion and swelling on her left side neck. And Rampart, she has moderate pain with any slight movement of the board.## Johnny added about her awareness level.

##There's a large deep bruise on her left hip with severe swelling and acute tenderness but with no pelvic deformity. Her vitals are : BP 122/92. Pulse 110. Her respirations are also at twenty six with an SaO2 at 98% on oxygen. Patient has prior history of migranes and has taken Cafergot. She says she's also allergic to horse dander. Reaffirming at this time, we have her in general c-spine precautions and we've immobilized the left leg with a Hare Traction Splint. The wound's covered with dressings and is bleeding controlled. The leg's distal pulses are still showing and limb color and temperature to that foot are normal. We have the right open tib-fib fracture immobilized with a full leg vacuum splint which is likewise dressing covered and bleeding controlled.

##Distal pulses have just returned there with half normal limb coloring and temperature. I have an ice pack applied to the left hip contusion and she states some relief from pain in that area. We also have the wrist splinted with a short vacuum splint, sling and swathe. There's ice there as well which is gaining pain relief. Note, I have her on 15 liters of O2 per non-rebreather. Any further instructions, Rampart?## asked Johnny.

"51, start an I.V. Lactated Ringers on patient two along with a piggy back of 250 milliliters of D5/W t.k.o. Administer 5 milligrams Fentanyl I.V. for discomfort. Monitor vitals and transport both patients as soon as possible. What is your ETA?" Dr. Morton asked.

##Ten to fifteen minutes, Rampart.## Johnny said.

"10-4. Get them in here." said Morton, smiling at the two highway patrol officers.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As soon as Johnny got off the biocom with Rampart, there was a loud crash and a big cloud of dust emitted from the doomed house.

The roof had caved into the bigger section of the house and what was left of it was no longer standing.

Gage sighed. ::But I'm not gonna be worried any more. The chief's relaxed and that means that everyone got out of the house with no one getting themselves in any kind of peril doing it.::

-  
At Rampart, things were wrapping up.  
"Wow! This is like being right there in the action, Docs." Poncharello said with his trademark smile.

"Almost. But we still can't see the patients until they get here. Someday when video telemetry comes along, we will have that ability." Dr. Morton replied.

"Every one of these squads you see listed on our board; 14, 24, 36, 45, 51, 99, 110, 116's and these two L.A. city R.A.s, work under our licenses. And here we provide them with on-line medical direction." said Kel, resting a hand on the recording base station terminal.

"We also share equal responsibility over the patient in the field with the paramedics until he or she comes here. Then, they are ours."  
Dr. Morton grinned with mock threat.

The two highway patrolmen chuckled.

"We've known Johnny and Roy for a little while. They are great to watch at work." Baker said, nodding.

"They're the best we've got. But I can't leave out the others." Mike Morton said.

##Rampart Base, Squad 45.## The base radio beckoned.

"Excuse me, gentlemen. I'm wanted again." Dr. Morton smiled as he stood over the flashing radio toggle to answer the squad call.

Quietly, the other three left the glassed cubicle, leaving Mike to his work.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back at the scene, everyone stood momentarily gaping at the house which had been thoroughly reduced to a pile of rubble.

McConnikee shook his head and turned to the three captains.  
"You know, I hate to see beautiful homes be destroyed by an act of nature like this. I know their owners usually have enough insurance to rebuild... but.. It just goes to show you that everything, no matter what it is, it has an ending."

Green, Stanley and Hankins agreed with him in mutual nods.

They all watched as the Mayfair ambulance EMTs, Harold and Malcolm, came up to Roy with a wheeled gurney. Mr. Risenborough was hoisted onto it and placed him on the cot side of the ambulance as Roy sat in the jump seat in back of his patient. Then the EMTs brought out a flat stretcher to take Mrs. Risenborough into the ambulance, too. Johnny stood in the jump door stairwell as Mrs. Risenborough was set gently on the squad bench.

Marco and Chet brought their equipment to them and Captain Stanley ordered Chet to drive the squad into Rampart. "Kelly, go."  
He then told him that they would follow in behind to pick him back up again after the transport.

The ambulance doors closed and Marco Lopez gave Malcolm the "all clear" signal to drive away.

The Mayfair took off code three towards Rampart.

McConnikee said, as Engine 51's crew starting leaving, to all except Chet Kelly whom he had noticed was driving the squad into Rampart. "Hey, Hank. I'll meet you back at the station for some of that good coffee you guys make? I need to tell you guys something about this incident that will interest you."

"Sure. Come on down, Bill. Make yourself at home. Henry will be glad to see you." Captain Stanley said with a smile.

"See you there." Chief McConnikee said. Then he picked up the mic on his vehicle C.B. "L.A ., Battalion 14. This incident's under control. Police and PG&E are to take over with Fire Investigator 3 on scene. Time out : Forty five minutes at 0800."

##Battalion 14, 10-4.## Sam Lanier replied over the radio.

Captain Stanley then got on the Ward's mobile radio and added. "L.A., Engine 51. We're clearing the scene and are en route to Rampart Hospital to briefly pick up a crew member."

In his usual fashion on their private station channel off the main one, Dispatcher Lanier replied. ##Engine 51, 10-4. Good job, guys.## ------------------------------------------------------------------------

As soon as the ambulance took off towards Rampart, Roy DeSoto got on the biocom. He waited until the yellow busy light was off before speaking since he knew that Squad 45 was using the same frequency for their patient report. As soon as the frequency cleared, he got on the air. "Rampart,County 51." Roy said.

##Go ahead, 51. This is Rampart.## replied Dr. Morton.

"Rampart, we are in route with our two patients now with a seven minute ETA. There' are still no changes in our victims' statuses since we've last contacted you. Please have the trauma team standing by, over."

##51, yes. They are standing by.## Dr. Morton replied.

"We'll give you another update when we are two minutes out."

##10-4, 51.## Dr. Morton said as there was another flurry of activity at the ER entrance.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was growing busy at the hospital.

Dr. Early met Squad 116 and their elderly patient whom the paramedics said had a history of mental illness. She had apparently slipped and fallen in the bathroom where she broke her ankle. She was singing "Amour" from Biset's opera "Carmen" as paramedic Bailey and an EMT from Goodhew ambulance named Hills, brought her out of the ambulance.

As she was being wheeled in with Hills, Bailey, and their respective partners, she saw Dr. Brackett and Dr. Early waiting for her arrival at the triage nurses's station. She instantly broke out singing. ''Oh, sweet mistery of life, I'm so glad I've found you."

The doctors both shook their heads and Dr. Early said to the incoming crew. "Put her in three." And then he went with them to look after his patient.

Dr. Brackett sighed as he met Dr. Morton and Dixie McCall back at the nurses's station . "I don't know if it's the wind that's bringing in these crazy patients, or if I'm going crazy myself, Dix."

"Is there a full moon out?" Nurse McCall asked.

"No, first quarter." Dr. Brackett said.

"It seems that every time the santa anas kick up, we get every strange character under the sun with at least some kind of odd problem." Dr. Morton replied.

"Well, Mike, you are kind of a strange character, too, since you are the only junior resident we have currently at the hospital." Dr. Brackett chuckled.

"I resent that!" smiled Dr. Morton as he stood in the doorway of the base station cubicle with his arms folded. "Still being inexperienced in some cases doesn't automatically mean that I'm that odd. Maybe someone who's odd is a doctor who claims to have seen it all before." he winked, pointing an index finger at Kel.

"Hey, let's not pick on each other!..." Dixie said with a smile.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Photos: None.

*  
From: Patti or Jeff or Cassidy Date: Wed Jan 4, 2006 10:37 am Subject: Shuffling The Patient Care Cards..

"....We've enough work to do without poking jabs at the home team while the bases filling up." she told them both. Then the amused smirk fell completely off her face. "I'm putting 45's near drowning into five, Mike." McCall added. "That way, we'll have the x-ray machine in three open for someone else who really needs it."

"Ok, that'll work. I'll go call respiratory therapy to line up a bird for her." he replied.

"How's she doing? I only heard part of that run while those two motorcops were in listening with you." asked Dixie.

"45's said that she still wasn't breathing on her own during their last transmission to me." Morton nodded, quickly disappearing into that room to get it ready for that patient's full resuscitation care.  
"but they also said that her v-tach was stabilizing on adenosine."

Dixie pursed her lips. "Boy, that was lucky for her."

"Real lucky." said Mike. "She'll survive this with a little help."

It was right then that Roy and Johnny arrived with their two tower collapse trauma cases.

Kel saw them coming and he called out loudly. "Guys!  
Don't bother bringing them into the "stabe" room. We've got two O.R. and anethesiology teams set and waiting for them upstairs.  
Any support work we have to do, we'll do up there in pre-op. Move them into here. It's on pause." he said about the elevator in which he was standing.

DeSoto and Gage did, passing off their patients run charts over to Dr. Brackett who quickly read them while they all piled into the patient freight elevator still being held open for them by an orderly.

The two ambulance gurneys were steadied by many hands as the doors closed behind them.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon and Ponch from the highway patrol felt themselves backed against a wall by the crush of patients who seemed to be arriving to Rampart from every exterior door.

"Come on, partner." said Francis. "If it's this busy in here, just imagine what the streets are probably getting like."

Jon Baker rubbed his nose, reshifting his motorcycle helmet under his arm while he sipped his hastily grabbed coffee. "You really want to go back out there again? It's boring. You know how it works for us whenever the fire department units get swamped, we never get anything to do ourselves."

"That's true. And when we're busy, they don't get any calls at all."  
said Poncharello.

Baker's face sobered.  
"Let's go. It's time we left this to those who are actually handling it." Jon said, throwing a open palm out to all the bustling doctors, nurses and arriving fire department rescue squad pairs rushing around them. "I'm feeling like a extra left boot."

Ponch nodded. "Just watch how fast I can disappear. Race ya back to the freeway." he said walking fast out of the emergency entrance doors.

"Ponch, go slow. You don't want Sergeant Getraer on your case again,  
do you? You already have two speeding tickets issued out from our own police cruisers on your records." Jon said, chasing after him.

"I do? Oh.. yeah. I had forgotten about those. Ok. Just for you then partner, I'll be a pure featherfoot." Ponch grinned toothily.

The two highway patrolmen left Rampart, turning right under the skywalk, with an accelerating thrum of rev-ed up motorcycle engines.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Photo: Brackett and Gage in a hallway with a defib in the background.  
Photo: Johnny arriving in hallway with a victim.  
Photo: Roy, Gage and a nurse in the elevator. Photo: Docs operating on a patient. Photo : Chips highway patrolmen, Ponch and Jon on the scene. Photo: Morton treating an old man while Gage and Roy watch in the background.

From : Roxy Dee Sent : Thursday, January 5, 2006 4:30 PM Subject : Heart to Heart~~

Roy and Johnny reappeared back onto the ground floor of emergency services. They left the elevator with their two station backboards, already sprayed off and germicided by a thoughtful surgical technician.

"Man, those two are the luckiest building collapse victims I've seen in a long, long while." Johnny remarked while they walked down the hallway towards the desk to resupply their I.V.s and cervical collar stores.  
"The vascular surgeon got great pulses in both their legs and feet using that sonogram. You can't get any better results than that. And they both could still wiggle their toes, too."

"I'm usually not one to be a raging optimist in trauma cases as severe as theirs, but I think you're right. This time." he held up a warning finger so Gage would know not to get his hopes up so high for a future run that proved as bad conditions wise. "I think they had a lot going for them because they weren't dwelling so much on themselves as much as they were worried about each other. How you handle things psychologically in adverse situations has got to say a bit about what kind of cards you'll be dealing with afterwards.  
I've been in the business long enough to start noticing certain patterns. Remember that hand stab last week who was so shocky, that we had to ventilate her a bit whenever she fainted on it?"

"Yeah, I remember. Talk about panicking. She drove herself into not breathing so hot." Johnny sniffed as they both paused at the main desk. "And how about that soy farmer with the severed hand? Walked right into the ambulance without so much as breaking out into a light sweat with normal vital signs? That was weird."

"Not really. That was an example of positive will power at work. Just what I've been talking about here. I wish half the patients we treat would learn that same mind trick." DeSoto grinned. "It would make their rescue experience with us a whole lot more comfortable."

"In your dreams. Think about it from their perspective. You're suddenly slammed into an unexpected emergency that possibly threatens your life. Nine times out of ten, you've never been in that kind of situation before. Now how in the heck can anyone have enough previous experience in their life to not let that kind of thing get the best of em? Especially if it happens to them kinda fast like it usually does. You've got to be absolutely stunned while it's still going on. It's only natural." replied Gage.

"That's what WE'RE good for, Johnny. To do all the thinking and worrying for them. I keep thinking that if we find the right way to explain things to the conscious ones, or even those that aren't,  
that they'd do a little better for us on the way in. But there isn't yet a surefire book on reverse psychology for covering any of that. Everybody's personality's different."

"Exactly my point, Roy. That's why I think those two up there in that operating room are so lucky. They figured it out." he grinned hugely.

"I just wish I could. I don't enjoy seeing downward vitals trends."  
DeSoto grumbled.

"No paramedic does." agreed Johnny. "Let's start experimenting on that ok? Promise?"

"Ok. I'm game. But who're we gonna experiment on in between response calls?"

"The guys.." Johnny nodded seriously.

"The guys? Johnny, they're not even hurt or anything. How can they be of any use to us?"

"They hurt, Roy. Just like we do, when we all lose someone on a station run. It hasn't been that long since we lost those two swimmers in the reservoir. We can use that as impetus if the topic crops up again at lunch today."

"The CISM counselors have already made all the rounds they're gonna do. No one was interested."

"True, but that doesn't mean they're not hurting any. That means,  
they've decided to get mule-headed about it." Gage said, raising both eyebrows without a smile.

Roy fell silent, listening to the whispers of his own pain still just under the surface. "They were kind of young. And such a pointless boating accident, too. I mean, who ties off an innertube rope on an anchor's drag handle so close to an outboard prop? That was...uh..." the memory of how badly mangled they were, returned in a flash. "....pretty stupid."

"Yeah, it was." Johnny said, getting faintly angry and sad at the same time. "So there's some hurt we can sink our teeth into. Maybe easing some of their stuff will ease ours."

Roy looked up at Johnny and gave him a miniscule nod and the two of them fell quietly thoughtful. His look told Gage that he was more than game to try.

Dixie wasn't around, so DeSoto and Gage helped themselves to the base station coffee pot. It was full and fresh, a sign of a busy shift. Johnny held it up so Roy would get the same sign he did about the E.R. to explain why Dixie or another nurse wasn't there to fill a supply order yet.

They filled only two cups since Chet Kelly had already rejoined the engine crew and had accepted their drive-by pickup. They had heard as much through the radio traffic coming from their HTs while working on their two seniors in the pre-operation room. About three minutes later, someone did come to help them out.  
But the nurse who came, wasn't Dixie.

::That's too bad.:: Roy thought. ::I wanted to pick her brain about how SHE calms and relaxes people down.::

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soon, DeSoto and Gage were back at the station and they were surprised to see Chief Bill McConnikee still hanging around the chower pot.

Johnny's defense against the mild depression that he and Roy had reflared was to grab the long dusty guitar out of Chet's locker.

Without preamble, Johnny sat down in a chair, and started playing.

Badly.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Photo: Johnny playing a guitar while Stoker and the gang listens over a chessboard.

Photo: McConnikee sitting with Cap at the kitchen table.

Photo: Roy and Johnny treating a shocky child.

*  
From: Sam Iam Date: Fri Jan 6, 2006 7:35 pm Subject: Hardball..

Henry, the couch potato bassett, immediately sat up and started howling at the teeth jarring, scalp twisting absolutely wrong chords and notes Johnny plucked out of the sorry looking wooden guitar.

Of all of them, Roy DeSoto was the only one who didn't wince.  
::He's starting our psych pick me up experiment already:  
he wondered.

Chief McConnikee wasn't fooled either, his eye didn't miss the feathery dust wafting up from the guitar strings as Johnny's uncalloused fingers stoked them into a knotted bluesy jive. He started grinning. "Why Hank, I didn't know one of your boys was such an officionado of one of the finer arts. That's-  
that's really starting to come along here." he said gesturing at Johnny's closed eyed, oblivious playing. He tried a wink at the paramedic to tell him that he knew the game of emotional probing hard ball was on, but Gage's enthusiasm slowed how attuned to the chief's hint he was, unintentionally.

"I didn't know, either." said Stanley, reliving a powerful, would-like-to-have-forgotten-it-instantly memory of when Gage had been on his one time and one time only music kick.

McConnikee upped his ante'. "Say, Gage. Did you know that some of the best, longest serving fire fighters I know are all talented musicians? When I talk with them, they say playing helps them initially cope a bit with their excess day to day baggage. Is that what you do, too?"

Johnny's chording faltered even more when his shock at the chief's correct guess at what he was up to, sank in. His playing died away.  
"Uh,..really. Didn't know that.. And yeah, I've... been known to dabble with this ..sometimes. Uh, sir, uh, what do you do whenever you know, whenever you feel like you just wanna rip out all your hair?"  
Gage asked loud enough to be overheard by everybody. Then just under his breath he added, "...what's left of it." he mumbled.

Chet Kelly's face went white as a sheet at that comment and unbidden,  
his left shoe under the table, started tapping sharply on Johnny's shin to shut him up.

Even Henry dropped off into utter silence and his ears perked forward.

But the chief didn't seem to have heard the jab.

Roy barely hid a smirk and covered himself by folding interested hands together across his chest to mask his amusement as he waited for the chief's response.

Johnny's throat wasn't even dry. He was banking on the fact that the chief was playing along with his and Roy's plans to.....talk. The kind of talk that firemen usually never shared with each other without some kind of official counseling mediator, sent from headquarters, hanging over their heads. He subtlely slid his chair over to the right to get out of Chet's kicking reach in order to hand over the old guitar to Bill, who was literally reaching for it with wiggly fingers.

Bill McConnikee settled the ornate country western strap over his broad shoulders and after a brief, swift retuning of the flaccid strings, he coaxed a very bright, jaunty prison feeling number out of it. "I just learned this one last week from some fresh faced new fella playing an open stage in a bar." he said. "Said he was making his big break with the record company. Played something called Leaving On a Jet Plane with a trio of others. I think he was a singer, too." And his playing shifted to the melody he just mentioned.

"Hey, I think I know him, chief. But I can't remember his name right off hand." Johnny remarked.

"I've forgotten what his was, too." said the chief. "But I remember that I liked his music set immensely."

Henry, instantly collapsed into a heap onto his side in pure beastly bliss at the sweet sounds whispering out of the guitar.

Everyone but Johnny and Roy just stared at Henry and the chief.  
Both of them. Back and forth. Like a tight tennis match.

Only Johnny and his partner were playing things cool. The door was wide open. "So...." Roy stammered, "You find this allows you to get whatever's bugging you off your chest pretty easily?"  
he nodded in encouragement for Bill to dive right on in. "Nice tune.  
Never heard it before."

"As I said, that musician was going places. And I always pay attention to people who're doing just that." he winked at Cap, tapping his white inspection hat that he always wore when he was visiting a station, even when he wasn't conducting a surprise snap inspection.

Hank immediately blanched, and the past sin of committing mayhem by the burning of Bill's old absent hat came slamming back into his brain like a freight train. ::The chief's paying close attention to me still for that:  
he thought in sudden horror. ::I thought he was here to talk about our last rescue call. I didn't know he was out for my bl---::

"Music's always a balm. Never forget that, guys. Gage may be still be new at it. But he's on the right track here. You should follow his example."  
the chief grinned, taking off the guitar strap. He held out the instrument by the neck, passing it off to Gage.

Johnny took it.

"I think I will." Chet Kelly said, snatching it quickly out of Gage's fingers.

"Give me that..." Johnny smiled, which wasn't really a smile at all as he snatched it back. He started playing again. This time, he plucked a very hesitant version of the first song the chief had strummed for them, but at a molasses snail's pace. With every third note a half key off.

"That's the way, Gage. Wrong notes don't matter with the blues. They just seem to fit." McConnikee grinned. Then he looked to Roy to continue what was afoot between him and the two paramedics.

DeSoto's stammer was even more pronounced than Johnny's. He found himself tongue tied. "Yeah, uh, Chet here, collects barbed wire as a hobby in order to relax. Somedays, he completely fills up the kitchen table to show them off to all of us. Uh, what do you do, Cap, to blow off some steam?"

"I yell..." he said with narrowed brows and a firm press on his lips.  
He wasn't smiling.

All the gang froze.

Then Hank's mouth opened up and he laughed great guffaws at his own joke.

Bill was the only one to join in.

The chief poured himself some more coffee from the steel pot sitting in front of them from its place on a gingham pot holder. "Funny, Hank. That's a good one. Yep. Guitar playing.... Collecting bits of antique wire... It all helps a great deal, guys. I should come up with a stress relief program demanding that you fellas practice some kind of hobby to do religiously so I know you all have a relief valve going for ya." Then he leaned into the table from his chair in a confidential air. "I hate those CISM shrinks, too." he admitted, "with a passion. But they do know their jobs and Headquarters seems to like em."

He sat back with a sigh and studied the two speechless paramedics in front of him, just waiting for them to delve again. But neither of their lips moved.

Bill decided that they were giving up on the emotional probing and he changed the subject. "Now about the way that earlier tower tumble was handled..." he said, lifting up a finger with a stern face.

The gang's eyes got bigger and they re-petrified.

"Nice job, all. I got word on my way over here that those two victims we dug out together are doing just fine. That's a thing I always like to hear." Battalion said.

"We do too,..Bill." Gage peeped, smiling faintly, slapping an affectionate hand onto McConnikee's shoulder.

Chet kicked his shin again. Cap did, too.

"I mean, Chief, uh, sir..." Johnny amended, pulling back his hand as if it had burned him. He started playing again as if his life depended on it.

The chief's gray eyebrow furrows narrowed stonily, but then Cap said...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Photos : None.

*  
From: "Cory Anda" Date: Tue Jan 10, 2006 7:52pm Subject: Struck...

"Chief, at our last call, you said that you had something that would interest me about the response we just wrapped up an hour ago." Hank deflected.

Bill looked up, effectively diverted. "Hmmm? Oh, yes, I did say that, didn't I? A change in the department, captain. And for the better."

"Oh?" Stanley asked, his eyebrows raised.

"By next week, no fire department will ever have to haggle with a city or suburb via Headquarters in order to turn off gas or electrical utilities at the scene of an incident.." McConnikee smiled. "They will have already been shut down even before any firecrew gets there."

That shocked everybody.

"Really?" Kelly asked.

"How'd they manage to do that?" Stoker added. "Don't tell me that all the public utilities suddenly turned clairvoyant.."

Bill looked up at 51's engineer with a frank frown. "In a way, they have. Gentlemen, yesterday, I was informed that within soco city limits in all L.A. County Fire Department service areas, that we've finally entered a new age of infrastructure regulated technology. They've gone fully computerized, boys. The minute there's a disruption of any kind in the power net or in the gas flows, safety shut offs are triggered on both sides of the trouble spot and plant operators are notified soon afterwards."

Cap celebrated. "Terrific! No more ripping my hair out waiting for the proverbial tinder box to unfuel itself under other fingertips while chewing on my own."

"Wow.. " remarked Roy. "When did all that automation happen?"

McConnikee grinned expansively. "Little by little over the past three years. Believe me, I was shocked as snot myself when I heard the news. That whole robotic communications net they have up now, is a lot like the monitoring network usually in place in a subway transportation system."

"Something of which we don't have in California due to all the earthquakes..." DeSoto smiled.

Bill nodded. "We been behind the times on how the city senses itself.  
But not anymore I'm pleased to say. And that's a boon for the whole department."  
He rose in his chair and subconsciously, so did the rest of the gang.  
"Well, I'd better be getting back. I've a stack of captains' exams to plow through from Division 2 to get done before sundown. See you fellas. Stay safe out there."

"Thanks for helping us today, Chief." Hank said seriously. "Your hands on bit probably made all the difference in the world for those two people we dug out this morning. There's nothing like having a higher up around to motivate things to move along a little faster."

"It wasn't about that, Hank. Your station has one of the best track records for speedy extrications. I wasn't worried about that. I only wanted to get my hands dirty again for once. I've missed getting into all the action, especially since new paperwork, like the new city automation alert packet I just told you about, seems to ...magically pile up by the pound in front of me onto my desk.  
Seems like there's more and more of it every year, too. It sucks, gentlemen. And the main consequence besides burning the eyes out of your head for all the reading, is gaining a big one of these.." Bill said, smacking his ample waistline.

All the gang chuckled.

"Well, I'd better go. Maybe I can bug 116's after dinner and help out on one of their brush fire assignments while I'm delivering the good news about the new utilities management system to them. See you, thanks for lunch and coffee."

"No problem, chief." said Captain Stanley as he opened the kitchen side door for McConnikee. "Thanks for lightening my radio load."

"Any time, Hank. Any time." said Battalion as he returned to his chief's car parked neatly facing the avenue in the side drive. "I like being the bearing of good tidings."

They watched, as McConnikee pulled away from the stoop, waving at his tip of the hat he gave them as he drove off.

"Ooo, Cap.." gushed Chet. "Does this mean you're gonna find a way to lighten our radio traffic load so us guys can enjoy something just as nice as that bit of news was for you?"

"I'm working on it." Cap said after a thoughtful pause. "There's a new fangled thing called a passage device or some other name that some yokel dreamed up last month. It's still in the testing phases."

"What will that do for us?" Marco asked.

"Don't know the answer to that quite yet. Its designer claims it'll revolutionize the whole fire department. He's hailing it as a new kind of life saver."

Johnny sniggered. "You mean there's something more revolutionary than a blind insertion luminal airway? I heard about that new paramedic tester device from Brice yesterday. He says it's being used in the surgical wards at Rampart right now to learn its versatility."

"Apparently so." Cap said, finishing off his cup of coffee. "I guess we'll all just have to wait for the final word on both of those things when they finally filter down to us as official gear."

Kelly started clearing the lunch bowls. "Meanwhile, the waiting's intolerable.  
It'd be nice for a little job improvement more often than once every five years.  
The last thing we got was that our asbestos tarps were taken away."

"Hmmm." Cap snorted. "We got a change. Roy and Johnny here got themselves free of being tied to those dangerous glass I.V. bottles last month."

"I'm talking about something for us common fire guys, Cap. Everybody knows that it's the paramedics who get all the experimenting benefits when they crop up."

Gage had a compliment to cheer Chet and he shared it. "How can you improve perfection? Maybe engine firefighting's honed to the sharpest it can be already."

"So where's the pay raise then? Geez, guys. Think about it. We're in the forgotten multitudes." he sighed at Marco and Stoker. "I'm bushed. Who's up for a nap after someone volunteers to help me do the dishes?" Chet auctioned off.

All hands were fully raised just as an injury tones call went out for the station.

##Station 51. Man down at the shipping yard. Dock workers report an explosion occurance without fire. 6610 Busch Blvd... 6610 Busch Blvd. Cross street, Canal 5 Causeway. Time out : 13:11.##

The gang rolled out of their chairs, abandoning the kitchen lunch table.

Roy got in an acknowledgement at the alcove station. "Station 51, 10-4.  
KMG 365."

Soon, both the Ward and rescue squad were flying down the boulevard towards the nearby industrial ocean canal district.

-  
They were met instantly by the loading dock boss. "This way fellas. He's still out."  
said a big burly yellow hard hatted man wearing tan coveralls. "I think he's hurt real bad."

"What happened?" Cap asked, as he shut the engine's door.

"We don't know. Mac was unloading those crates from Europe over there using the ship's roof crane when Kablewy! Something went up. It caught my brand new man here real bad in a flash and knocked him flat."

Johnny and Roy immediately got their medical gear and the oxygen over to the clustered group of dock workers holding another young man on the ground's head still.

"Did you move him?" Gage asked loudly.

"No. They didn't." answered the dock boss. "I'm not that stupid. I know about the possible broken neck and back thing happening in any fall or bump my men might take. I told them to lay off him past making sure that his tongue wasn't blockin' off his breathin."

Cap got the boss's attention again. "What do you think caused this mess?"  
Hank asked, sweeping a glove and active HT over the shattered debris dotting the canal waters and the concrete immediately upwind of them.

"Larry found this.." said the boss. And he handed Cap a bill of laden.

Cap read it quickly. "Aww, nuts! Gang, get your air bottles on before you go anywhere near that fallen pallet. I got a CAS number of 7439-95-4."

The boss immediately got alarmed. "What? Did we screw up somehow moving that junk?"

Cap took his arm and spoke gently. "You had no way of knowing this clearly.  
The crates are marked totally wrong. Stoker! Call a foam unit. We've got pure, loose magnesium powder of an unknown quantity, right there!" he said, stabbing a finger at the jumble of splintered crates. Then he turned to the boss and the small group of dock workers still hovering over Roy and Johnny and the unconscious man, sprawled on his back. "Mister, I want you to get everybody who's outside within three hundred feet of him.." he said,  
pointing at the injured man. "...well back. Better yet get them all inside the warehouse and close those main bay doors."

"I'm doing it!" said the boss man, running and shouting. He soon had the area cleared and locked down tight so the firefighters could work.

Gage was still tossing the wooden boards off of their explosion victim while his other glove rested on the man's stomach to monitor his shallow respirations.  
"Cap, you want us in scba, too?"

Hank shook his head, squinting at the color of the sky. He set up the oxygen tank his paramedics needed. "You're safely downwind. The day's land/sea breeze is already rock solid. It's not going to shift with the Santa Anas shearing like they're doing on its topside."

Gage finally got to their patient's head as he shooed the last first aider away.  
His fingers found a careful jaw thrust lift that eased the man's fitful gasping soon afterwards. Then he did a double take, when his eyes caught sight of the man's face. "Ohmyg*d. Is this man who I think he--?" he broke off when he realized the dock workers had already retreated to safety on Cap's order.

Johnny leaned in closer, making sure the man was breathing well in a listening check.

Roy smacked his arm, holding out an oral airway and handing Johnny a flowing oxygen mask. "Here. I'll check out his back next. Cap, would you go get a C-collar from the rear stow?"

"Yep." said Hank. And he jogged to the squad to get one.

Johnny was still gaping and he stared at the young, round eye glassed, page styled, blonde haired man under his hands for long moments.

Roy finally lost patience and snatched back the oropharyngeal from his partner. He cross fingered in the short oral himself and planted the oxygen mask down over the pale man's nose and mouth.

Gage slowly reanimated. "Roy, don't you know who this is?"  
he said, throwing a chin downwards while his hands continued to hold the face bruised man's head and neck still.

"No." DeSoto said, working swiftly in a check for broken bones and other problems.

Gage dissassembled. "This here's Jimmy Colorado! The one and only."  
he grinned.

"Yeah, well whoever he is. He knows you're not acting very professional right now while you're drooling in amazement, all over him. Sorry, sir. Forgive, Johnny here. We ARE taking good care of you." he said to the unconscious man's closest ear. "Try to pick up your breathing a little. You're doing ok for us. I'm not finding any bad problems yet past a swollen right knee so far.  
Can you hear me?" he asked tapping a light finger over one of his eyelids a few times after he gingerly removed the man's round glasses for safe keeping.

The man didn't move or swallow around the airway in the slightest.

Cap returned with the cervical collar and a backboard. "Marco, Stoker. Grab some sandbags. Once we get him moved outta here, we'll worry about the mag spill."

Soon, Gage was freed up hands wise so he could get an initial complete blood pressure past a pulse estimated one. His earlier starstruck gape, was disappearing and he was fully back to business. "Roy, 92 over 66. He's not reactant to pain either." Johnny shared, after pinching the underside skin of the man's upper arm firmly between a few fingers. "He's not diaphoretic though despite this pallor. Resp rate's twenty two and regular."

"Ok.." said Roy, finishing up a Babinski's on the man's feet that he had bared for a CMS check. "So far so good down here, too. No apparent fractures. But I think we should splint that knee up anyway. It's getting pretty big. Marco, can you handle that before we check out his back and log roll him onto the board?"

"Got it." said Lopez.

Gage added more. "And see if he's got his I.D. on him in one of his jeans' pockets, too." he ordered eagerly.

Roy threw his eyes skyward. "That can wait. We're rapidly getting out, remember?"

"Finding a wallet's important, too. He.....might have a preexisting condition we need to know about to explain all this wheezy breathing." Johnny stammered as a little of his recognition stun came back.

"He got the wind knocked out of him when the crates went up most likely." Roy shrugged dryly. "Come on, focus here, Johnny. Ok? ..Chet. Fellas. On the count of three, we'll tip him my way. One, two... three.  
Cap, keep those legs in an easy line. He's twisting a little."  
Roy quickly scissored away the man's shirt back and pants to look for more injuries and bleeding. There was none. "Ok, that's it. He's clear. Roll him back down. Yeah, he's centered. Ok. Let's get those straps on next."

Soon the comatose man was safely long boarded and head tilted up onto the splints box by the squad behind the secure shielding bulk of the Ward.

Cap and the others went to tend the hot spot in air bottles.

Gage silently brandished a found wallet at Roy and set it open onto Jimmy's stomach and turned it so Roy could read the driver's license himself while they opened Jimmy's shirt to set him up for an EKG reading.

Roy ignored his partner with a sigh of long patience and picked up the phone to Rampart to give their opening hail.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Photo: Roy and Johnny treating a downed man in a ship yard.

*  
From: Sam Iam Date: Wed Jan 11, 2006 5:31 pm Subject: Hazmat

Captain Stanley got on his HT to Headquarters. "L.A., Engine 51."

##Engine 51, this is L.A.## answered the dispatcher's calm baritone.

"We have a positive I.D. of several hundred pounds of pure magnesium exposed to the air and sitting on a wet pier. There are signs of recent explosive hydrogen gas effects. Respond a Haz Mat crew for decontamination and clean up. I have a foam truck standing by should this spill ignite other combustibles in nearby shipping crates of unknown content." Hank told him, cocking his head. He had heard Foam 127 pull up at the same safe distance his own vehicles were positioned at around the corner of the large sea facing warehouse. He motioned for their captain to come on over once he saw his men air bottled.  
"For now, holding dry and seeing about getting large quantities of sand."  
Captain Stanley made sure he was upwind and pulled off his air mask long enough to eyeball the pier boss and crook a finger to draw the man out of the building from where he was watching anxiously, to commandeer a front end loader to deliver just that. The boss took the hint and exited a side door away from the canal and he circled around until he had met Hank behind the bulk of the engine. He had on his own contamination air bottle of short acting duration, the kind normally issued to ship firefighters.

Immediately, a triple beep intercepted the transmission. ##L.A. This is Battalion 14. I'm in the immediate area. I'll be responding to fully assess the situation for escalating fire conditions. My E.T.A. is four minutes.##

##Battalion 14, 10-4. 51's incident address is 6610 Busch Blvd. Cross street, Canal 5 Causeway. Your time out : 13:19.## said L.A.

##Battalion 14. KMA 116.## acknowledged Bill through his wailing siren over the frequency.

Captain Stanley replied. "Engine 51, Battalion 14. I note your response and estimated time of arrival. We've only one injured civilian who's been confirmed as contamination free. Ambulance is not on scene. I'm getting bills of laden handed to me right now for all cargo inside the hot zone. We're located on the north side of the causeway. Our wind is north to south banking west and then out to sea away from most line of sight cargo barges and all buildings. Please notify responding units of our local weather conditions from the coast guard. In fact, having them come out here themselves isn't a bad idea. They could oversee operations."

##Copy, Engine 51. Keep your men in scba and fully outfitted outside the radius you've marked. Have them wait until your sand arrives. A three hundred foot circle should just about cover it.## McConnikee advised Captain Stanley.##And I already have a Coast Guard Dolphin crew, their closest cutter and Fire Boat 110 en route to your position with an E.T.A. of under two minutes. Watch for them.##

"Engine 51, 10-4, Battalion. I will advise you of all changes." Hank replied. Then Stanley put his mask back on as he turned to the pier boss to discuss getting one of his pier firefighters to drive in a front loader to dump sand and air smother the magnesium spill until it could be scraped into an empty cargo container in the canal for safe water decomposition and later disposal.

127's captain jogged on over, placing his helmet over the air straps fastened around his face. Hank leaned into him, grabbing him around the shoulders and soon they got into an immediate plan of attack huddle with the pier boss and the new paired pier firefighting team the warehouse boss had summoned through the harbor master by phone.

Battalion 14's lanky red car soon pulled up behind them and their efforts were joined.

Then they broke apart. Hank got on his walkie talkie to advise his own men, waiting in a line along the landside of the La France.  
"Engine 51 to HTs 51, all. In two minutes, a front loader will be coming in from the shipping yard with his first load of sand. Marco, Stoker, Kelly, follow him with a charged inch and a half each time he moves in to dump his sand but do not release any water over him. Do that only if a fire erupts to turn away any explosion from him. And if fire does happen, do not eyeball any flames directly or you'll burn your eyes. The brightness flaring from the burning mag will flash sear your eyes in seconds, faster than an arc welder's. Foam 127 will be covering you should fire get around your cover before you make good your escape with the driver. Secondarily, wash down those blue crates..... right over there, when he goes back for more sand without getting any of the original fallen ones dampened in the slightest. Make sure all the runoff you make goes straight into the ocean. Those second bins contain fresh shrimp." Cap told his men.

Chet groaned. ##Oh, no. Iodine? Those'll smoke the mag for sure if the wind blows any powder over there.##

Hank grinned ruefully through his air mask. "That's probably what made the initial explosion go off when the magnesium crates fell off their unloading cables the first time. So, the sooner we wash the fish juice away, the better off we'll be. Go.."

Marco, Stoker and Kelly soon had their hose set up ready and waiting for the silver hazmat suited and air bottled pier firefighter to start up the heavy machinery.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Photo: Coast Guard helicopter and boat in the ocean.

Photo: Cap yelling over a bullhorn while his men watch by engine.

Photo: McConnikee and Cap and Gage standing by squad.

Photo: Roy and Gage patching a man into the monitor and on O2.

*  
From: "patti keiper" Date: Wed Jan 11, 2006 7:18 pm Subject: World of Silence..?

Roy lifted the biophone receiver and plugged in the antennae.  
He was just about to speak when Johnny looked up from the eyes of their victim that he had been checking out with a penlight.

"Roy,..he's gone tachycardic.." Gage said suddenly. "Just started happening." he said, getting a grip on Jimmy's carotid as he looked at his watch to time it.

Roy set the unused receiver onto his shoulder and he looked at the EKG monitor which was set to visual tracing, studying it for long moments, then he flicked on the audible mode so both could follow what was happening without looking away from what they were doing by listening to its sounds. The beat was racing at 150, and it was bounding. "Adrenaline effects? He might be waking up some. His breathing's still ok. It's not causing this V-tach." DeSoto told him.

Johnny shifted his attention from his patient's vital signs to neurological ones. He tried another pain check with a firm sternal rub in between two of the man's EKG pads. He was rewarded when Jimmy jerked both of his hands under the backboard straps. Deftly, Gage slid the oxygen mask aside and pulled out the oral airway before he could gag on it.  
"Jim?...Jimmy? Can you hear me? Open up your eyes. Can you do that for me?.. Hey.." he said, rubbing knuckles once more, grinding a couple fairly deep into Colorado's breastbone.

A weak groan trickled out of Jimmy's cracked lips and he kicked out both legs. Pain from the knee finished the job of arousing and he was suddenly awake. "OhhHHh... nghhH. *cough* "  
The heartbeats coming from the monitor speakers jolted a series of slow beats at the cough, then started racing once more when a sudden new panic filled Jimmy's face. Fear poured into his eyes as they snapped open and started watering under the sun.

"Hey,... take it easy. You're all right... You're all right." Gage said,  
firmly, grabbing one of Jim's shoulders to keep him still. "That explosion's over. You're safe. Tell me what's happening to you, ok? Can you talk?" he said, leaning close over his face.

Jimmy's eyes met and tracked Johnny's easily. But he didn't speak. He remained obviously frightened and it reflected in the monitored heartbeats, which climbed even faster.

"Are you in pain? Is it your leg? Or is it your neck or back?" Roy tried asking him, taking a hold of his other shoulder.

Jimmy Colorado gave a cry of dismay.

Then he froze, taking in an unpleasant breath of discovery. "Guys, I can't hear you. At all. Are you yelling? I can't.....hear .  
anything. I... my ears were ringing before. Now they're totally quiet!" he panicked in a rich sounding tenor voice. The paramedics saw that he wasn't even the slightest bit confused mentally from the blackout disorientation that they were used to seeing on people who finally decided to wake up for them.

"Ok. ok.." Johnny said. "Just let me put this oxygen mask back on. It'll start slowing your heart down some. I'm going to check your ears out right now. Just try to relax. You're not hurt bad at all. We've just got you on a backboard and in a C-collar as a precaution." he pantomimed with two hands wrapped around his own neck to demonstrate what he was talking about visually.

Jimmy's eyes took in the straps over his chest and the wires feeding the Tetronix display and a hand worked free to feel the oxygen mask sitting over his face tentatively.

It was more Johnny's reassuring smile than his words that made the man settle a bit. Fright was still very highly evident on the EKG monitor, but Jimmy no longer tried moving his arms and legs. He was watching both paramedic's faces intently instead.

Johnny knelt down with his penlight and check both ear canals.  
Then he looked up. "Roy, bleeding in both. Perforated eardrum on the left side. Contusions and swelling on the right." he reported. Then his hands slid under the collar to palpate the back of Jimmy's head. "There's no stiffness in his neck, or Battle's sign. Negative on CSF in any of this drainage." he said, looking at the reddish stains Jimmy's ears had left on the sand bags holding his head still.

Roy took another blood pressure. "It's up. 140/100."

Gage nodded and then he turned his attention back to communicating.  
He pulled out his writing pad and a pen. With it, he wrote Jimmy a few facts and asked a few questions while Roy slid the round glasses back onto his face so Jim could read the note being written for him.

Jimmy gasped. "No, my neck and back don't hurt." he said,  
his eyes growing wide. "I just can't hear myself talk. But my knee's old news. I hurt it last week getting tossed off a horse. Are my ears going to be all right? You see, I'm a musician and I play and sing for a living."

Johnny wrote. ~I know. I recognized you when we first got here.  
Just take it easy. Is it okay if we start an I.V. on you? The doctor we're gonna call may want one for you because you were knocked out for a while.~

"Yes. How long was I out?" fretted Jimmy.

~Around twenty minutes according to your boss.~

"Am I ok?" Mr. Colorado asked with alarm.

~You must have a very hard head. You're doing just fine, Mr.  
Colorado. But we were wondering about that wheeze you've got in your chest.~ Johnny wrote.

"I'm not used to the California smog yet. I've a dust allergy. I've only been in the state for a couple of days so I guess it must be flaring up now."

~Do you have any other problems we should know about?~ Gage asked in words.

"I've hypoactive thyroid in the wintertime. I take a pill for it when my energy's low." said Jim.

~Ok. How about pain. Are you in any?~

"My head, a little bit. Guess I cracked it when I flew backwards.  
And both of my ears are stinging badly. Is that why I can't hear anything?"

~The explosion put a hole in your left ear drum and bruised the right one. Once we get to Rampart General Hospital, a doctor will examine you much closer to see exactly what is causing your deafness right now. And he'll get you out of this contraption, too, after a couple of x-rays.~ Roy answered on the note pad after pointing to the longboard.

Jimmy sighed and closed his eyes. "All right. I hope they can fix whatever's wrong soon. Music's my life... Annie, my wife,  
will kill me if she finds out that I have to give any of that up."

Gage tapped his shoulder again to show him another question.  
~Do you want someone at the hospital to get a hold of Annie once we get there?~

"Yes. Could you arrange that?"

Johnny nodded.

"I want to thank you for caring for me like this. I never thought I'd see the day where I'd need a couple of Los Angeles County paramedics called out to look after me." Jimmy grinned.

~That's what we're here for, Mr. Colorado. Welcome to California.~ wrote Roy.

Jimmy managed his first full smile and the racing audible heartbeat finally slowed to near normal. "I'm ...a little tired. I was up all night playing a gig with my new band. We were practicing for cutting a new record when I remembered that I had my first day of work to report to at the pier. I barely got here in time. Is it ok if I sleep a bit?"

Johnny and Roy both nodded that it was safe for him to doze.

Their patient relaxed instantly, his face going slack with released strain. His breathing evened out and his slight gasping went away.

"He's a very busy man." Gage remarked to Roy.

"I guess so. Who is he again?"

"A famous country western singer. Remember the second song the chief played for us? That's his."

"He still doesn't ring a bell." DeSoto said, looking at their patient's face again.

"Roy, you need to get out of the house a little more. You're sure missing a whole lot." Johnny frowned, cutting away Jimmy's sleeve for his future I.V. "This young man here's gonna be as big as the Beatles someday. Mark my words.  
I got his first album and his second one, too, I think." Gage thought out loud. "Yeah, I played 'em both last month."

"I may be behind on the music scene, but little else escapes me."  
DeSoto teased Johnny with a straight face. "You should loan me those records sometime. Joanne and I like to try new things every once in a while."

"Deal. He's real good. You won't be disappointed."

Roy got on his HT. "Squad 51 to L.A. Can I get an estimated time of arrival on our ambulance?"

##L.A., Squad 51. Mayfair Two reports an E.T.A. of four minutes to your location.##

"Squad 51, L.A., 10-4. We'll be set. Our scene is safe."

##Squad 51.##

Roy got switched over to the phone on top of his shoulder. "Rampart this is Rescue 5-1. How do you read me?"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Photo: Roy in scba gear by squad on the biophone.

Photo: Johnny looking down at someone.

Photo: An eyeglassed man in a C-collar on oxygen in a closeup close.

*  
From : Derrick Sent : Tuesday, January 17, 2006 12:46 AM Subject : Where The Silence Is

There was a brief period of silence. "Rampart base, County 51. How do you read?" Roy repeated.

##Go ahead 51, this is Rampart. We read you loud and clear.# replied Dr. Early.

"Rampart, we are at the scene of an explosion at an imports pier involving powdered chemicals. We have only one previously borderline critical patient at this time. Our victim is now a conscious and oriented late twenties to early thirties male trauma patient. He was thrown back onto his head from the force of the blast and was initially unresponsive for twenty minutes prior to our arrival. At this time, his chief complaint is stinging pain in both ears. On a scale of one to ten he rates his ear pain as a nine.

"On examination, he has active bleeding in both ears with a possible perforated eardrum on the left ear and swelling in the right with profound early tinnitus and deafness. He has swelling in the right knee, now splinted, and facial contusions. But we have found negative findings of any stiffness in his neck, battle's sign, CSF fluid drainage, or signs of pain with his neck or back. There are no other injuries, past these, detected ..but we have him longboarded with a C-collar for his protection." said Roy.

At Rampart, another doctor was with the carefully attentive Dr. Early. It was Dr. Brackett, listening in.

They heard Roy add more to his radio conversation "Vital signs were : BP 92/66, pulse 150 and regular, respirations twenty two with wheezes detected in all fields. We now have a BP of 140/100,  
pulse is 110 and regular, respirations are twelve and normal. His chest sounds like it's clearing. O2 saturation is at 98% on six liters of O2 via non-rebreather mask. On that right knee injury, it is from one week ago following a fall from a horse. He also expresses a history of hypothyroidism. He is allergic to dust and takes thyroid medications for his condition only occasionally. We request an I.V. and affirmative, I will be sending you a strip. Over."

Dr. Early replied. ##Squad 51, do we know what chemicals were involved?##

"Rampart, distilled powdered magnesium as far we can tell." Roy replied.

##51, are any of you or is your patient contaminated?" Dr. Early queried.

"That's negative." Roy answered as Mayfair two's electronic wail siren tone shattered the air. "Rampart, this will be Lead II." Roy said as he sent the EKG strip over the radio.

-  
Joe Early and Kel read the strip as it came over the telemetry lines and they interpreted the rhythm to be mostly a normal sinus rhythm at a rate of one hundred ten without ectopi, with intermittent periods of sinus tachycardia.

Kel thought. ::That's probably due to the fact that their patient's worried about his sudden loss of hearing. His vitals are too good for this reading to be anything else.:: Brackett saw that his mental conclusion matched Joe's by the expression on his face and they shared a look without needing to speak.

Dr. Early replied. "51, start an I.V. of Lactated Ringers TKO at 30 to 60 cc/hr. Monitor for any changes and transport as soon as possible."

Roy answered.##10-4, Rampart. Copy an I.V. of Ringers at 30 to 60 cc/hr, monitor patient vitals and transport. Our ambulance is here and our E.T.A. is twelve minutes.## he added.

"10-4, 51." Dr. Early said.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Roy had just gotten off the air with Rampart as Johnny double checked Jimmy Colorado's sensory, motor functions, and immobilization effectiveness to the long spineboard. He told Johnny. "Early wants Ringers, TKO." Then he handed him the I.V . bag, microdrip tubing, and a 20 gauge needle. He knew the reason for the infusion of small fluid volume to their patient was because of the fact that Jimmy might have sustained a head injury. It was his goal and Rampart's to prevent any swelling in his brain which could lead to disastrous consequences. That would change though if their patient went into a poor breathing shock level on the way in. Then Colorado would have to be rapid sequence intubated and hyperventilated as an increased intracranial pressure preventive measure and a faster flow on the I.V. would be dialed up.

~Okay, Mr. Colorado.~ Johnny wrote . ~I am going to start an I.V. on you. You're going to feel a big pinch here in your arm for a couple of seconds. That's just me putting the needle inside the the inner elbow vein in your arm.~

Colorado froze, looking away from the needle. His trepidation was plain on his face. Then came the sharp stick, ..but he didn't move. "Ow. That stung a little. But no worse than getting a shot at the doctor's though." Jimmy Colorado replied nervously, gasping as he released the breath he had been holding.

~Believe me, they do sting. I've had em', too.~ wrote Johnny Gage with a smile after he secured the I.V. catheter with tape to Jimmy Colorado's right arm while holding pressure on the lanced vein above it. Gage attached the I.V. bag and its drip set after he flushed out the tubing to the catheter. He adjusted the drip's rate after the fluid chamber was half filled to start the I.V.'s challenge.

Mr. Colorado's face expressed relief the ordeal was over. "I truly hate needles. Sorry for flinching."

Johnny then signaled Harold and Malcolm to move in with the stretcher. ~No problem. But I'm glad you felt that to tell you the truth. It means you're waking up well for us and have absolutely no signs of upper body paralysis to speak of.~~ he joked on his notepad.

In a test, Colorado wiggled his toes to reassure himself and the paramedics both that he was still fine the rest of the way down, too.

Gage smiled at that and looked up at the waiting ambulance attendants who quickly picked up the longboard after dropping the foot guard flat on their mattressed stretcher. "Guys, he was in an explosion and got knocked off his feet. He has injuries to his ears, possibly the head, and a bum knee that he got last week. We got loose dressings to both ears, just that knee splint, and he's on light O2. He's pegged for a continuous read on the monitor and will remain fully immobilized. Note that we're going to Rampart and it's a rush. Be careful." he told them.

Chief McConnikee walked up to check on the progress of his favorite bar singer. He examined the loading scene and said to Roy as he was picking up the biocom and trauma kit to hand to him. "How's he doing?"

"He seems to be doing better now. We're taking him to Rampart and we'll know a lot more later. But I think he's got nothing serious that can't be repaired or healed, most likely." said Roy.

"Before you go, I want to warn you that as big as he is getting, there will be a ton of media at the hospital. Maintain your silence about meeting him, both of you, unless he personally says you can do otherwise." The Chief told them as his eyebrows furrowed with a straight face. "I'll be back at the station in a couple of hours to tell you how to report his run in the logs to fully protect his privacy to prevent someone in our internal departments from leaking his misfortune to the papers." he added.

"I'll drive the squad in." Johnny told his partner. "Get to know him,  
Roy." he grinned. "Here's a once in a lifetime chance that I'm just handing out to you. Remember that."

"See you there." Roy said unimpressed, as he and Malcolm stepped inside the ambulance to transport Jimmy Colorado to the hospital.

Vince Howard arrived at Roy and Johnny's location and gave the ambulance the all clear, double slap signal as the ambulance pulled away with red lights and siren towards Rampart with the squad leading the way.

McConnikee afforded one more look of concern for their young, rising, from out of state singer. Then he put his white helmet back on and strode back to work on the long hazmat cleanup ahead with engine 51 and the other units covering the incident.

-  
Their Mayfair's arrival at Rampart took a couple minutes longer than expected because of the strong head winds and low visibility from blowing dust that slowed down the squad and ambulance's speed as they travelled. They also had a couple of unexpected obstacles to overcome, like a windblown trash can and a road strewn cord of firewood that some motorist had lost unintentionally that had blocked lanes of traffic.

However, Roy's celebrity patient remained stable throughout transport and there were no unforeseen events.

When they arrived at Rampart, the emergency entrance looked like a used car lot with three squads and four ambulances parked there.

::It looks like business is still picking up.:: thought Roy. ::I wonder how busy it is now.::

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Photos: None.

*  
From: "Derrick" Date: Wed Jan 18, 2006 1:33 am Subject: About Jimmy

Harold, who was driving the ambulance, looked in the Emergency entrance lot, wondering where to park so no passers by would be gawking to see who was being brought in. A Schaefer Ambulance EMT saw the Mayfair's situation and she hinted to Harold that she was moving her van ambulance to the side lot so he could get in with Jimmy and Roy.

Dr. Early was standing in the doorway with Kel Brackett to greet his patient. The ambulance doors came open as Roy was writing his last note to Jimmy. ~Well Jimmy, here we are at Rampart Hospital, the best in the county. The doctors will take good care of you here. It was nice meeting you. Come see us at the station when you get better.~ he said, pointing to the number on his bench parked helmet.

Jimmy said, with a grin. "You can count on that."

As Jimmy was unloaded by Harold and Malcolm out of the ambulance,  
Joe directed them. "Room Two. Is this our explosion victim?" he asked the attendants.

"Yes, doc." said Roy, appearing out of the dark interior of the rig. He got out and went into the doors, following his patient.

Dr. Brackett curiously followed behind him.

"Those face wounds look ugly, but there still is no change in the degree of his tinnitus and deafness. He remained stable and alert throughout transport. I also got something to tell you privately when we get inside." Roy said to both of them.

The sextet entered the treatment room that was used for lesser injured trauma patients as a backup to the main trauma room. Rampart was experimenting with a new trauma center concept, an idea whole-heartedly embraced by all three of her main ER doctors.

Jimmy was transferred off the ambulance gurney onto a hospital one.  
Kel looked at Jimmy again, then he turned to Joe and said. "Joe, do you know who this is? It's Jimmy Colorado."

"I was about to tell you the same thing, Kel." quoted Joe.

Joe went to a drawer and pulled out a ruled style notebook. Reaching into his doc's coat pocket, he pulled out his pen and wrote in capital and small printed letters. ~Mr. Colorado,  
can you tell me what happened?~ he began, getting an awareness level check in.

"I was starting my day job at the pier, when boom, there was an explosion. The next thing I knew, I couldn't hear anything after the paramedics woke me up. My ears were hurting and ringing something terrible when I found I could talk again." Jim said.

~Do they still feel that way?~Joe asked in writing.

Jimmy's face wrinkled as he grasped how he was feeling and he said, "The quiet's about the same, but some of the pain has gone away a little bit."

Then, a stunned Dixie McCall walked in and gasped when she saw Jimmy Colorado lying on the gurney. Despite of who he was, she asked. "Jimm--? What happened?"

Joe Early filled her in. "There was an explosion at the pier. He got blown off his feet and it looks like it injured both of his ears. He can't hear a word we're saying, but he can talk to us. I'm going to take a look at his head, back and neck in detail, even though there are no acute signs of injury there."

A concerned Dixie grabbed a stethoscope and a BP cuff and took Jimmy's vitals. "BP's 140/90, pulse's 100 regular,...respirations are twenty and normal." she said afterwards.

Roy was busy with the new trauma room's pulse oximeter machine and a thermometer. "O2 sat is still 98%, .. and his temperature's 98.7 degrees F." he said.

Kel did a sensory/motor assessment on Jimmy and he ran the list of what he found through his head. ::Good capillary refill, normal limb color and temperature to the extremities, all with purposeful movement.:: The last test he said out loud. "Negative on Babinski's. What next, Joe?" he asked Early, who was in charge of Colorado's case.

"I examined his eyes already, Kel. His pupils appear to be equal, round,  
reactive and conjugate. Skin temperature's still normal and dry to the touch.  
Let's shift him to our monitor so Roy can have his back. Dix, call Radiology. I want a full skull series CT scan with special attention given to both his middle and inner ears. Also see if they can get me an anterior and lateral view of that knee."

Brackett spoke up. "Also, Dix, call the lab to set up a spinal tap, I want to be sure this deafness isn't being caused by a slow subdural or epidural bleed.  
Draw blood for a full count CBC, platelets, and hemoglobin. Call Dr. Jones and have him set up for an EENT consult please, stat, after he views all his slides and images." Kel ordered.

"I got it." Dix replied as she finished marking the tests on Jimmy's chart.  
Then she busied herself dialing out on the treatment room's phone.  
"O'Brien's on today for ears, nose and throat."

"Do you two have a minute?" Roy asked both doctors.

"What is it, Roy?" Dr. Brackett asked, looking up from the dressings he was removing from both of Jimmy's ears.

Roy led Dr. Brackett into a corner in the treatment room and said. "Bill Mc Connikee says that there will probably be a media circus very soon, all over this place, wanting to know something about our patient's condition. The chief wants us all to keep a tight lid on it for the sake of privacy because of Jimmy apparently being as big as a star as he is. Can you arrange that?"

"Roy, you know you've got my word to keep everything confidential. Did you hear that, Joe?" Kel asked Early, hooking a thumb at Roy.

"Absolutely." Joe Early replied.

"And I'll hear, see and speak no evil, too." Dix replied as she got off the phone.

"I'll be sure to tell Mike Morton about the press and staff gag order which I guess by now has already been forwarded to our ER desk directly from Fire Chief Houts. Mike'll probably let Dr. O'Brien know the same order upstairs as soon as he gets it." Joe said while he hooked Jimmy up to the monitor so a suddenly treatment room door appearing Johnny could retrieve the squad's.

"Where have you been? Did the wind take you away like Dorothy to Oz?" Roy chuckled at his partner.

Johnny smiled at Roy as the hospital attendants came to transfer Jimmy to the brand new, experimental CT scanner lab down the hallway. Being clever, Gage tapped Jimmy's shoulder in warning with a wink, then he flipped Jimmy's blanket half over his face and the oxygen mask to help better conceal his identity from uninvolved hospital staff and from the public wandering the halls around the ER waiting room. "I, partner, was having a meaningful conversation with a beeeauutiful chick outside who's an EMT with Schaeffer's. She said she likes me. And she told me she'd like to get into the paramedic program one of these days. And....we have a date for next Saturday night!" he said happily.

"Oh? What's her name?" Roy asked.

"I've memorized it already. Matilda Emily Lynn Volskeld. The nurses call her Mel for short and they say she's a tomboy with a mouth like a sailor." said Johnny. "I think I'm in love...."

"You go for that type? I thought you like to go for the brainy,  
sophisticated, feminine kind of girl. Like that air hostess we met coming home from that paramedic convention or that newspaper journalist writing about firefighters from last year."

"Or like Valerie?" Johnny reminded him sourly of their past hit and run victim, the mother of three, that they had responded to when she had been struck by a motorist right in front of their squad's bumper. "Heh. I've broadened my horizons a bit since then."

"I remember befriending a young lady like that." replied Dix as she got into the conversation, reflecting on her younger years when she was actively dating. "She used to tell m--"  
A page went out for Dixie to report to the CT room, and she smiled. "I'm needed to help with Colorado's scans apparently..." As she left the room with Roy and Johnny, she finished her previous line of thought, "Back then, fellas, I was sweet and treated people with the utmost respect and dignity." she said batting her long elegant eyelashes. "But after hanging out with Maude for a while, she showed me the real value of things whenever I needed to get angry to speed things up at work..." She slipped into a mock, but convincing Brackett like roar. "They didn't mess with me then afterwards. And please don't mess with me now!" she said in clear birdline earshot of a curious knot of floor nurses who were tightly whispering about whom they thought they just saw, at the desk outside the CT scanning room. "This place has been an insane asylum all day, DATGUMMIT!" Dixie then slammed her charts on the nurse's station desktop to scatter them.

The gossiping nurses broke apart and fled before they learned anything concrete about who the man was in the CT room.

Roy and Johnny looked at McCall in amusement and she winked secretly back at them. Then they all sighed at each other, knowing that the day's stresses weren't over yet for her. :: Or for us either.:: thought DeSoto. The two paramedics shifted the weight of the gear in their hands so they could both wave a quick bye for now to her.

"Well, let's get outta here, Johnny. Let's head back to the station. The rest of the guys should be back in an hour if all this the wind cooperates." said Roy. "A nap sounds real good. Chet had the right idea about all of us getting some sleep earlier at lunch time."

"Yeah, I'm even more tired now." Johnny said, yawning.

The bright afternoon daylight made them squint as they neared the ambulance doors.

"Whoa! Look at the wind out here." Johnny said as he and Roy walked outside the short distance to the squad. "It must be blowing sixty five miles per hour!"

"I guess so. Let's get in here in a hurry." Roy said after horsewhistling to get his weather gaping partner to pay attention to him. He tossed Gage the ignition keys so he'd take the hint to take over driving the squad for him. "My hair's being blown all over my head and it's really bugging me." Roy replied.

"Put your helmet back on your head." Johnny teased.

"It's too late for that now." DeSoto grumbled.

The paramedics hastily put their gear back inside the squad and entered the cab. Johnny, as usual, had picked up the radio mic to report themselves back into service when he noticed that the wind was shifting the squad a little as stiff gusts blew by it. "Man, do you feel that?" he asked Roy as he started the squad up.

"Feel what?" asked a freely dozing, hand and elbow face propped Roy.

"The wind. It's rocking the squad!" said Johnny.

"Big deal. It will take a tsunami to tip this thing over." said Roy.

"You're right about that." said Johnny. Gage pressed the button on the mic and said. "L.A., Squad 51's available."

##Squad 51, L.A. clear. KMA 896. ## replied Sam Lanier on the other end of the channel.

"So tell me, Romeo. What does this dreamy new date Mel look like?" Roy asked Johnny as they pulled onto the boulevard.

"Well, she's about five foot five. She has long shiny brown hair almost down to her waist. Not to skinny, but not too fat. Just how I like 'em. She's been working for Schaffer's only for a year she says and her old man's a captain with the fire department in Daley City." Johnny said, gripping the steering wheel.

"They've got a good department up there." Roy said. "Let's see if you'll hit the jackpot with her this time and fare better than you did with single mom Valerie."

"As a matter of fact, Jimmy Colorado is supposed to be playing a gig next weekend at the Beer-A-Bye-Bye uptown and I plan on taking her there. I'm buying the tickets as soon as I get home." Gage said. "You and Joanne can come along, too, if you like. We can call it a double date."

"You know, Junior. You amaze me. I'm not much into music, but after I got to know Jimmy a little bit on the way to Rampart, he's made me a real fan. He's got something about him that's ..real honest and natural. Know what I mean? And it most likely shows in his songs,  
too, if the one I heard at the station is any kind of indicator." Roy replied. "But I doubt if he'll heal up in time enough for that bar performance of yours. He may have to cancel that one and schedule it for a later date."

Johnny, feeling let down said. "Oh. You're right, pal. It might take a while for his ears to heal up enough for all his hearing to come back by then, if it ever does. But you never know." Gage said with a smile. "Surgery's wonderful these days."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile at Rampart, Jimmy's CT scans came back to Joe Early.  
He and Dr. Brackett were looking them over with Dr. Nathan Jones and the ear doc, O'Brien, in the CT viewing room.

"Well , what do you see, Joe?" Kel asked.

"A little deviation to the cochlea here. The left eardrum is perforated all right. But the right ear is appearing just as soft tissue trauma. Oh, and there are no abnormalities in the head and neck area. That knee will just need an Ace bandage and a cortizone shot. He's lucky." Dr. Early.

"What do you think, Nate? Steve?" Kel asked.

"Well, needing surgery's out of the question. The hole's too clean.  
But there's still going to be a little bleeding over the next day or two as his ears begin to heal, but it's nothing that I'm concerned about.  
The tinnitus and deafness are probably just temporary effects from the fluid buildup that came as a response to the explosion's concussion wave." said the specialist, O'Brien.  
"So,... what I'm going to do is just keep him here until maybe later on tomorrow night. I'll start him right away on antibiotics and pain reducing ear drops. Tobradex'll do. He should start hearing things by tonight after those I.V. diuretics drain more out of his middle ears. My final diagnosis? He'll heal up good as new within the next four to six weeks." Dr. Jones said, too.

"Well, let's go tell Jimmy the good news." Joe Early said. "Dixie's with him now managing his crowd control." he quipped.

"A crowd? Already? That was fast." Kel remarked.

"News travels fast when you're popular I guess." said Early.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Photos: None.

*  
From: "Cory Anda" Date: Thu Jan 19, 2006 9:01 am Subject: For the Love of Music..

Dixie McCall entered the holding room next to the CT scanning suite. The lights were subdued, but her eyes didn't miss the sight of Station 51's backboard leaning against the wall. ::I'll take that out with me when I leave in a few minutes.:: she decided mentally.

Jimmy Colorado, was dozing on a head raised, pillowless gurney in the center of the room. He was no longer wearing oxygen but another I.V. now hung next to the one Johnny Gage had given him. Walking quietly across the fawn carpetting, Dixie checked its flow rate against the notation Dr. O'Brien had marked on his orders page. ::Diuretics. Hmm.:: thought Dixie. ::That probably means that the spinal tap they did in here after all the scans came back negative on blood from a head injury. Well, that's very good news, at least, ...so far.::

She saw that the doctors hadn't yet visited Colorado with their findings on his ER exam or CT tests yet. She was about to leave him to sleep more quietly when she saw a hastily scrawled notation from Johnny Gage on the run sheet to locate someone named Annie, Jimmy's wife, to let her know about his accident.

Sighing, Dixie sat down on a stool next to Jim and gently woke him by pulling his blankets, which had tumbled down below his waist, back up to his shoulders.

Jim's eyes opened, but the fatigue she had been expecting, wasn't there in the slightest. His face opened up in a bright smile. He said, "I remember you. You came into the room in Emergency when all the doctors were checking me over to see how I was doing. Hi, I'm Jim." and he held out his I. hand.

Dixie took his and shook it. Then she wrote on a spare notes page.  
~Hi, I'm Dixie, the head nurse around here. How are you feeling now?~

"Oh. I'm a little sore still. But the breathing treatment I received and the ice packs for my knee are helping. The doctors told me they have me propped up so I won't get a headache from that back needle test they did on me a bit ago."

~That was a spinal tap, Mr. Colorado, and it's used to rule in or out internal head injuries and illnesses.~ she wrote to him.

"So, how did I do?" Jimmy asked.

~I'd say pretty good. See this?~ she wrote, pointing to the second I.V.  
hanging piggybacked alongside his first one.

Jim nodded.

~That is giving you a medication that'll get rid of all the excess fluid in your circulatory system in about a half an hour. Seeing one of these ordered by your assigned ENT, Dr. O'Brien, is a good sign. He only drains middle ears like this when surgery's not indicated.~

"So, does that mean that I'm going to get my hearing back, Miss...McCall?" he asked, squinting to read her nametag without his glasses.

Dixie was honest. ~I can't say for sure, Jimmy. I'm not one of your doctors.~ she scribbled. ~But do give me your wife's telephone number. Then we can call Annie together to let her know what's happening.~

"Right now?"

~Right now, if you'd like.~

"Oh, yes, please. She's probably worried sick if any of this has gotten on the news." he said with an anxious frown, writing down the number for her on a paper towel using the pen she had with her.

~Nothing has, Jim. You and your records are being isolated from everybody except those directly involved in your recovery. You'll see myself, an orderly or two who are guaranteed to not wag their tongues, and only your four doctors from this point on until you're discharged. And that's it. I'm telling you the truth that no reporters, at all, have been knocking on your door.~ she wrote.

"How'd you arrange that?"

~Let's just say I learned a few things from a TV soap doctor last year about hiding folks when they desperately need to be hidden for the good of their health.~

Jim laughed. "I appreciate what all you folks are doing for me. I'm not a star.  
I don't think I care to actually become one to tell you the truth. All I know is that I want to share the music that's inside of me to those who'll listen. And if a record or two will help pay the bills for me, my wife and for my baby daughter, so much the better."

Dixie smiled, and picked up the phone. ~Shall we call your family now? I'll be your relay. You just tell me what to say so she knows I'm really legit, o.k.?~

Jimmy nodded.

A few minutes later, the phone call was completed and Jim relaxed for the first time since he was injured. Absently, he began humming an unthinking melody while Dixie took another set of vital signs for his progress chart. Dixie began smiling. Then she handed him the writing sheet. ~That's lovely. Is that one of the songs you play regularly?~

Jimmy blushed. "No. I haven't ever sung it out loud to anyone yet. I wrote it thinking about Annie, last week, in about ten minutes, while on a ski lift." he admitted with an amused grin. "I think I can still sing a bit of it in spite of being deafened like this. My pitch's usually pretty good. This is about how it goes, Dixie." he said. And then he softly filled the room with a bright, love filled, very softly sung ballad of incredible beauty.  
"You fill up my senses like a night in the forest.  
Like a mountain in spring-time like a walk in the rain like a storm in the desert like a sleepy blue ocean You fill up my senses, come fill me again.

Come let me love you, let me give my life to you Let me drown in your laughter, let me die in your arms.  
Let me lay down beside you, let me always be with you.  
Come let me love you, come love me again.  
...There. And that's all of it." he shrugged. "It's so different from anything else that's ever come to me lyrics wise. I honestly don't know how my manager will feel about it when I tell him that I came up with it in just a couple of minutes."

Dixie opened her eyes and fiercely started to write. ~Mr. Colorado. If you don't produce that song, you will be losing a very fine chance to teach others about one of the truest lessons in life : how precious it is to love someone else without condition.~

"You really think so?" Jimmy asked, surprised.

~Look at the tears filling my eyes, Mr. Colorado. And you did that without being anywhere near your guitar. Any song worth its salt will move people beyond words without a single solitary note of accompaniment playing along with it. Trust me on that one.~

Jim looked at her face for a long, delving, soul searching moment. Then he handed her a kleenix from the box on his patient table.  
"Wow. That's sound enough endorsement for me, Miss McCall. So,  
as soon as I'm better, I promise, I'll set up a recording session and get it down on tape. For the last thing I want to do is disappoint a busy nurse in her own hospital." he grinned.

Dixie laughed warmly and dried her eyes just a few seconds before the door opened to admit Joe Early, Kel Brackett and the two specialists coming to deliver their glowing prognoses.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Photo: Dixie, smiling.

Photo: A blonde, page style haired man in round glasses, laughing.

*  
From : Roxy Dee Sent : Friday, January 20, 2006 4:22 PM Subject : On The Cliff Tops~~

It was two days later at the station.

The gang was feasting on Marco's spaghetti with gusto and all were freshly showered and in new uniforms following a routine abandoned house fire.

Roy and Johnny were talking to themselves, being vague on details. DeSoto raised his eyebrows while he gulped down a large swallow of milk. "Was there any word on him yet from her?"

"Yeah." answered Johnny. "Dixie says he's no longer in the hospital. He got out yesterday. But she was tight lipped about any further news on him."

"She would have to be. Its those privacy laws, remember?" Roy sighed. "If it were that easy for paramedics to get information about a previous patient, lawyers everywhere would be suing us left, right and center for unlawful practice."

Cap immediately knew who it was they were talking about. He framed a silent "shhh" to hush them.

"Pass me the Caesar's dressing, please." said Chet, stuffing his mouth full of french bread and butter.

"Look at that everybody. Chet's hungry enough to use a full set of manners at the table." quipped Stoker. "Record that for posterity, folks. I can't remember the last time he asked before grabbing."

"So says the man who usually doesn't talk much, with his mouth full." Kelly grumbled, wiping his with a napkin.

Cap's comment, topped them all, only barely tempered with a smile. "Shut up and eat, you twits, before we get another--"

RiinNNNggg! rang the phone.

"I'll get it.." said Gage, shoving away his empty plate with a belch. "L.A. County fire department. This is Fireman John Gage." A few seconds later, he nearly dropped the phone.  
"Oh, uh.. hi there Mr. Colorado. Uh, wow. You're finally talking to me." he immediately bit his lip. "I....didn't exactly mean it the way it sounded. Heh. I meant it the other way meaning that I'm ....very happy you got your full hearing back."

Cap spun in his chair with a scrutinizing glare at Johnny and he narrowed his eyes curiously at the name he had heard.

Gage said, "Uh huh.." whipping out his notepad from his back pants pocket. Furiously, he began to scribble down some information. "Uh...huh." he punctuated.

Roy piped up. "Johnny?"

Gage whirled with a hasty silencing gesture and he gripped the phone receiver even tighter against his head while plugging the other ear. "Sure.. I have a couple of my own. Are you sure you won't mind my bringing two, one each for Roy and myself?"  
There was a pause. Then Johnny smiled hugely. "Sure. Tomorrow morning would be fine. We both get off at nine tonight. Ok, I'm glad you're on your feet and doing so well. Roy and I were worried about ya. Yeah? Ok. Thank you. Thank you.. Bye.." and he clicked the phone down into its wall cradle with a bang.  
Then he collapsed on the wall in a sag of disbelief and celebration.  
"Ooo, Roy. Do you know you that was?!"

"You kinda told us." Hank snapped. "Should you have told us?"

"Yes. He said I could." said Johnny. Then he scrambled over to his partner, waving his paramedic note pad in the air. "So our official gag's lifted as of right now."

Cap's serious peg didn't let up.

Gage shrugged. "If you don't believe me, run a trace with the phone company and listen to the conversation yourself, Cap.  
I wouldn't lie about a thing like that. I mean, after all, who do you take me for?"

"A total nutcake." Chet chuckled.

"Very funny, Chet. And it's too bad you're not invited."

"Invited to what?" Marco asked.

Hank told them briefly about their pier explosion victim of the other day.

"No kidding?" Lopez said. "You met HIM? My mom really likes his music.  
She cranks him up on the radio stations every chance she gets."

Cap's mouth fell into firm lines. "What exactly did he say? If this is about showing gratitude for helping him out, you know where the department stands on that one."

Gage's happy smile died away. "Well, Cap. I uh, he didn't exactly use...words to that effect.." he laughed weakly. "All he asked was whether or not I knew anyone who could show him how to ride a horse on the beach."

"You didn't..." Roy stared, flabbergasted.

"Well,... why not?" Johnny said unapologetically. "Naturally, I said that I could help with that. I do own a few of them."

"And what about that part about having one enough for me as well?"

Gage fell silent, feeling the weight of Cap's unwavering stare and Roy's ire most acutely. "I was doing you a favor, Roy. Didn't you say you had become an instant fan of his to me? I thought you might enjoy actually talking with him,  
now that we can."

"I'm not a cowboy." Roy said, not looking away.

Hank started laughing hugely and broke off his captain's scowl. "Ok, I understand things a little better now. And that's not receiving a gift for services rendered. I'd say that's unofficial professional advisement on another topic. Have fun, Roy, and don't forget to bring a pillow along with your first aid kit for when you fall off."

-  
Roy and Johnny pulled up in the rover that was hauling the double horse trailer containing two of Johnny's most trusted mustangs. Johnny put the truck into park and said, "This must be it. The sign back there said Starwood on Aspen. Now there's nothing to horseback riding at all. All you gotta do is relax a bit in the saddle and let the horse do all the work."

"Easier said than done. A horse isn't a bicycle. Which is about all I'm able to handle riding wise. I never said I was a country boy."

"Well, Jimmy does on the radio. All the time."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. Don't be such a cynic. You'll have fun. Just think, if you fall off, you'll have me around to care for you. We got the jump bag in the back, remember? And a CB radio. I also got ropes. Jimmy says he wants to show us an eagle nest he's discovered that he thinks no one else knows about.  
And Bess will be able to handle you. She takes the city kids' mane tugging real fine and she doesn't even blink at saddle tippy seating."

"It's not the horse I'm worried about." Roy sighed. Then he changed the subject.  
"What a name for a ranch. Sounds like a penthouse party event." said Roy.  
"Does he own all this?"

"Nah, he's just renting a couple of stalls here. He said he leased his horse at this coastal ranch because it and its name reminded him of the mountains back home where he's building a house in Aspen, CO. Here."  
said Johnny, handing Roy his cream colored five gallon hat that he once wore in Santa Rosa County. "I took the liberty of grabbing that out of your locker when we left the station last night. Shall we unload the horses next?  
Jimmy said he'll be saddling his appaloosa in the driftwood corral located nearest to the beach."

"You lead Bess. She's bound to .... nip at my hair again."

"Can you blame her? It IS the color of straw.." Johnny smiled. "She's probably hungry from the trip."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was no mistaking Jimmy when they found him. He was wearing khaki colored pants with a loose white dress shirt etched with an ivy vine design.  
His head was bare to the ocean breezes.

Roy felt conspicuous in his hat. He didn't feel as comfortable in it as Johnny seemed to be in his black one. But then he relaxed when he saw that Colorado wore boots just like they were wearing to ward off the wet. Johnny tied off both Bess and his horse, Eagle to the tangles of driftwood that made up the rustic fence.

"Hello there fellas! Glad you could make it out here today." greeted Jimmy. "I didn't think I'd get lucky enough to find real horsemen smack dab in the middle of Los Angeles. I hope your captain doesn't mind that I'm borrowing you two for this. He might get the wrong idea about my intentions."  
said Colorado.

"No.. no. no.. We straightened him out about that right from the start when you called." Johnny grinned. "It's a real pleasure to actually be able to get through introductions this time. I'm Johnny Gage, and this is Roy DeSoto,  
that other man you met that day who was on the hospital phone." he kidded.  
Then they offered Jim each their firm hand shakes in genuine heartfelt welcome.

Jimmy sighed. "I'm glad to finally be sociable like a man ought to be. I had a rough day with a headache yesterday but then both my ears decided to come back right at noon, just shortly before I called your work place to ask about where to find some horsemen." said Colorado.  
"I just couldn't wait to start trying to figure out my little horse problem again."

"Oh?" said Johnny. "He seems trained enough and he's real calm here, even with us being on his offside like this." Gage remarked with a practiced eye for the black and white rear spotted appaloosa standing before them.

"Oh, I wasn't referring to Stud Spider here. He belongs to James Brolin,  
a good friend of mine. I meant my problem of being a little apprehensive about getting him to take on moving waves. I keep thinking he'll take a tumble or something and pitch me right off. I tried that with him at the lake back home and that's how I wrenched the heck out of that knee you guys found on me earlier last week at the pier."

"How is it now?" Roy asked, pointing to his right leg, in professional curiosity.

"I have a brace on it. Just a light one. And an ace wrap. I've been cleared to ride as long as I don't overdo it." admitted Jimmy.

"It's a piece of cake, Jimmy. All you have to do is point his head at the water and relax his neck reins a bit. His natural instinct to wanna roll in the water will get him playful and then he should start listening to you real easy." said Gage, stroking the singer's glistening gelding's face.

"I sure hope so. Roy, you ride much?" asked Colorado.

"I know how to drive a rescue squad. Does that count?" he laughed ruefully.

"It sure did for me the other day. Thanks, you two, for then and now."

"No problem. Shall we take that spin on the beach? Bess and Eagle are all set to go and I've already checked their hooves out. They're stone free."  
said Johnny.

Jimmy nodded.

The three took to their horses. Roy, a little bit more slowly. But he managed.

They spent a wonderful half hour, rushing their horses through the sea foam and through the ocean shallows, casting up spray that liberally coated everyone's slacks up to the knees.

They were starting to cool down their mounts in the sharp breeze coming in from the water by leading them from their reins when a ranch hand they didn't know rushed up to them on a horse of his own.

"Jimmy! Jimmy! It's Ike. He's just radioed from his pickup half way up in the hills. He says he's spotted a hiker down from a fall up there. Looks like he was trying to light a camp fire when the wind took hold of it and fanned it up. Cougar Rock's ledge's burning and we think that he had to jump to avoid getting fried by the flames."

"What?" Gage startled.

The ranch worker went on, panicking. "I'm glad I found you. I've been trying to find some of the ranch hands to ride up there with me to go help him out."

Roy said, "Can we help? We're paramedics from the Los Angeles County fire department and we've climbing gear and first aid equipment with us."

"Really?" sputtered the man. "Oh, man. Just when we need ya. Let's go." he said, starting to wheel his horse's head about.

Johnny shouted. "Wait a minute. Let's go to my rover first. We'll notify our dispatcher and get a full rescue response started out here."  
he said, getting into his own saddle.

Jimmy and Roy followed suit and soon, they were on their way.

Photo: Johnny riding a horse.

Photo: A blonde man riding a horse at the beach.

Photo: Roy DeSoto in a cowboy hat

Photo: Johnny in streetclothes with horses in the background.

Photo: The landrover with Roy and Johnny in it.

Photo: A hiker down on a cliff face.

Photo: A raging new brush fire in dry scrub land.

*  
Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 06:26:45 +0000 (GMT) From: "Clairissa Fox" .uk Subject: Sticky Business

A shot fired in distress rang out clearly over the roar of the wind.

"Someone else's noticed the fire or the hiker. He might not be alone." DeSoto said, pulling up to listen more closely.

"Let's just get there before we start worrying about someone else doing something stupid." shouted Gage, driving his gray on a little faster.

It wasn't five minutes later when the hard blowing horses finally reached the top of the wide tableland billowing fresh brush smoke.

Jimmy dismounted soon after the ranch hand did. "Where's this hiker, Lou? I don't see him at all."

"Right there!" said the older man. "Just under that pine tree on the flat to the right of the cliff face." he said pointed.

"All right. We got him." said Johnny, grabbing two coils of hundred foot rope. "Roy, what do you think? Just the basic equipment?"

"We're gonna have to. That fire building up may not give us time for anything else except dragging him out of the fire's way." answered DeSoto.

Colorado's cool was shaken. "Is it really that bad of a burn starting up?  
I'm familiar with ones back home. Usually they take a half an hour or so before working into anything serious."

"You're overlooking a crucial factor, Jim. There's about a hundred times less water present in the soil and foliage here in California than back near your home in Aspen. Fires always get bad when they get going in thick brush like this. And they get bad fast. So do us a favor; man our anchor line and don't try to follow us. If we need something from the horses, we'll signal ya for it." he told the quietly worried singer and the frantic ranch hand.

"All right. I'll tie the horses by the road so the fire stations can easily spot us when they come." said Jimmy. "I'll keep an eye on him, too. He looks a bit anxious to just dive right on in with you." Colorado said, casting his head at the ansy rancher shouting up at the distant prone hiker.

"Fair enough." Gage said, sighting along the ridge face for the best, safest way up the cliff that wasn't downwind of the gnawing flames building in the grass niched in its crevasses.

They left the others behind on the horse trail, quickly jogging for the vertical cliff face Lou had shown them. Soon, they rounded a bend and the accident slope became visible. Johnny sighed in frustration."Our victim's a city slicker all right. He's hardly tan and there are no rocks above him around the fire pit he tried to light up. Looks like he tried to use charcoal starter in spite of the warning signs about all this breezy weather. I can see the can lying at his feet from here. It's still leaking."

"Is he moving?" Roy asked.

"No. And it's too windy to tell if he's still breathing or not."

"Let's just hope none of that fuel got on his clothing when he fell. If a spark from one of those burning shrubs gets a chance to land on him..."

"Don't even think it, Roy. I'm scared enough as it is going into all this smoke without knowing where the head of the fire's at." Johnny frowned.

Soon, the two paramedics began to climb the rocks, foot by careful foot. Johnny led the way, being the nimbler of the two and every so often, he tied off on a snug tree that wasn't dead to be a backup rope support for the medical pack equipped Roy.

The ledge was even narrower and more angled than what they had initially feared. Many times, the two firemen slipped, sending rocks and small dirtfalls cascading to the trail floor down below. Only the ropes kept them on their hand and foot holds.

"Gimme more slack!" DeSoto called out as he skirted around a smouldering pine sapling. He started coughing as acrid smoke began to grow thicker. "I'm * cough* almost over to him!"

"How far?" shouted Gage, still out of sight around a fold in the boulders.

"About twenty five feet." Roy yelled back. "He's alive. His legs are trembling. Looks like fracture spasming and contractures."

"I'll be right there in a minute. I'm tying you off so I can send down a line to the others for the rest of our gear."

Roy methodically negotiated the bare rock face on toes and fingertips until he found good purchase. Then he reached over to the shivering man's neck for a pulse quality check.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Photo: Johnny climbing a rock face in street clothes.

Photo: Roy and Johnny climbing in homemade gear.

Photo: A man in a cowboy hat, sitting in grass, looking up.

Photo: A brush fire burning through shrubs.

*  
From: "patti keiper" Date: Fri Jan 27, 2006 2:46 pm Subject: Catch 22...

"How's he doing?" Gage asked, crouching by Roy's side. He started unstrapping the knapsack full of medical supplies from his partner's back without asking.

Roy leaned forward and dug out some loose dirt and pebbles out of the unconscious man's mouth with a few fingers.  
"He's shocky. Breathing for now although how long he'll be able to keep that up once the air gets worse up here.." Roy said, blinking the stinging smoke out of his eyes. "I turned him onto his side. He seems clear neck and spine wise. He took the impact to both feet when he landed. See the blood smears? Looks like he struggled then stopped moving when he realized both his legs were broken."

Johnny knelt down and got out his clothes shears from his hip holster. "Good thing for him he's passed out." he said quickly cutting away the man's blood soaked jeans. "This lower bone shaft's open and comminuted right at the knee. The other leg's been spiralled. That break's closed. It's most likely his femur. It's angulated. But I've got a good femoral pulse with this."

"Do you have circulation in the first leg anywhere below that knee?"  
Roy said, feeling along the man's upper body for other soft spots while he checked also for telltale skin tears and bleeding.

"No. His foot's dark. And it's getting more than just a little cold." Johnny said grimly, peeling off a tarp that had wrapped their backpack's frame. He used it to cover up the man snuggly to start preserving his body temperature.

Roy tried moving the pulseless leg into better alignment.  
"Feel anything now?"

Johnny shook his head after feeling at artery points on top of the foot, around the ankle and behind the shattered knee. "Nothing.  
At least, an artery's not torn. He isn't hemorrhaging badly from anywhere down here through these bone lacerations. I don't understand it."

"Compartmental syndrome?" Roy sniffed, thinking.

"Already?" Gage frowned, bending close to make sure the man was breathing well in his new left side shifted position.

"It has to be that. You know how bad joints swell up after taking a hit.  
Especially if it's a knee."

Gage lifted his head, feeling how the broken bones lay tangled just under the skin. "I'll get a splint. Maybe we can keep, at least, his upper leg viable enough to save."

"That's what we're gonna have to do. We've no other choice in the matter." Roy agreed.

Johnny horsewhistled loudly, and got Jimmy Colorado and Lou's attention.  
He pinwheeled an arm sharply in a gesture. "He's alive! Send up the first bundle! The splints pack! No, not the green one yet. The long, flat orange one!"

Colorado finally got the right duffle tied off and Johnny began the long chore of hand over hand pulling it up on its rope.

A scuffling on the rocks above them sent a small cascade of sand down onto Roy's head. He protectively threw his body over the injured hiker's head as he looked up for the source of the disturbance. A dangling foot of a practiced climber lowered quickly into view.

Roy saw that their new arrival had expensive cleats on and he barely registered the fact that the man could only have come from the hot, flame burning campsite on the ridge above the ledge. "Where'd you come from?" he blurted out, helping the man's feet gain a grip on the narrow ledge.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." he grinned, pulling something off from around his neck. "Glad you heard my gunshot and came up here, too.  
I was wondering how I'd get Stuart down from this ledge all by myself." he said piling a coil of light mountain rope near the cliff's drop off.

"Wait a minute. Isn't the fire fully involved up there? How is it that you're still breathing?"

The climber reached into his jacket and pulled out a small cylinder. It was green. "With this. It's portable oxygen. I grabbed it from our cessna while getting a few other things I needed and I wore the mask until I got into the clearer air blowing up the rock face. Get it on him. I assume you have medical training. Stuart looks like he's been effectively evaluated." he said, throwing a well groomed head at the neatly split clothing skirting Stuart's bruised arms and legs.

"You sound very much like a close paramedic friend of mine." Roy mused,  
smiling. "His name's Brice."

"And you're one, too?" guessed the man.

"Yep. So's my partner. He'll be right back. He's getting some splints up here from a pair of horseback riders waiting down below. I'm Roy DeSoto. From Los Angeles County." he replied, turning the dial of O2 on after he had the small mask snuggly fastened over the hiker's nose and mouth.

Johnny reappeared from around the corner, flattening to the rock wall with all the clinging power he could muster in the sharp breeze. "I got them and some..."  
he broke off as Roy and the stranger both reached down to help him up onto leveler ground.

"This is Johnny Gage from my same fire station. 51's in Carson City. And you are?" DeSoto interjected neatly.

"Dr. Lance Baldwin. I'm an orthopedic surgeon. Stuart's a med student of mine, originally from Chicago. I brought him up here to see what the back country looks like but I didn't quite bank on his suburbanite upbringing getting in the way. I told him not to light a fire until the Santa Anas died down for the night." said the doctor tightly as he immediately knelt down by Stuart's ruined knee. "Still no pulse in it?" he asked them.

"No." Gage replied. "You wouldn't happen to have any I.V. solution bags with that oxygen do you, doc?" he said, crouching near with a serious expression on his face.

"Sorry. Fresh out. We can always improvise and make some at the ranch once we're out of danger until your coworkers get here to give us replacements."  
he said opening a small red plastic case that he had pulled out of his jacket pocket. "I've got a sphyg and steth in my backpack. Take a vitals set, would ya? I'm gonna try and save this leg if I can." he said, getting out a long sterile syringe and needle pack.

"What are you gonna do?" asked Roy, frowning.

"I'm going to try and draw out some of this excess fluid buildup here. If I can do that, blood may flow back down into Stuart's leg. Knee fractures create a lot of clots. If I can remove most of them..."

"His foot'll probably make it then. I get the picture. Need my help at all?" asked Roy.

"Yes, go get that empty water bottle blowing around. We can use that to hold the blood and debris I'll get out of the joint. But first, swab down the entire knee with this betadine. I'm going to go in from the front." said the surgeon, holding up the still safely sheathed syringe.

"Will that evacuation work?" Johnny asked, looking up from a blood pressure he had taken along with the rest of the basics. "80/54.....22 and 124."

"Yes. I do these all the time on the operating table to prevent nasty unnecessary amputations. Let's hurry a little. Stuart'll kill me when he wakes up later and finds out that I couldn't keep him from having one of THOSE done on him. There's still time to reverse this leg's compromised blood flow." said Lance. "And he won't get cardio-hyperkalemic on us if I manage to do this fast enough."

Soon, the leg was set and the doctor began the emergency procedure. He advanced the long needle under the skin after a sharp pop, until a pulling up on the plunger produced a flashback of thick redness. "Hold the leg still, while I get the rest of this eviscerated marrow out."

Johnny and Roy both used their hands to still the twitching muscles of the oxygen starved leg with firm grips. Clot after thick soupy clot entered the syringe's chamber until nothing but clear fluid followed. Gage slipped a hand under Stuart's popliteal artery. "I've got a pulse now." He looked down at Stuart's bare foot. "And there's refill almost faster than two seconds in all five of his toes. I think that did it, doc."

"It usually does." smiled Baldwin. He pulled out the needle and plungered pushed its contents into the plastic water bottle Roy held out to him. He dropped in the whole injector set, needle and all into the container and screwed the water bottle's cap down to seal it away so no one would stick themselves on its sharp end. "I like to stay thinking that I'm pretty good at doing knees, boys. Ok, let's get him set to move out. I'll take one of those splints of yours to wrap this leg up myself. I know just how to position this kind of bad break for the best perfusion. Don't worry, we've plenty of time to do this now."

A sharp gust of wind sent a swirl of burning loose grass tornadoing around the four of them. Johnny threw the tarp over Stuart's head so the oxygen gas wouldn't ignite the skin on his face off an ember. The fire surged and lapped over the edge of the ridgetop only twenty feet above them making all of them duck into a huddle instinctively.

"I think.. we just ran out of time. The brush fire's right on top of us." Gage quailed.

Then the opposite ends of the ledge burst into flames.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Photos: A fractured knee being needle evacuated.

Photo: Marrow and blood in a water bottle.

Photo: A well splinted knee using homemade cloth strips.

Photo: A firestorm spilling over pine trees.

Photo: Roy, Johnny and another man crouched on a cliff ledge.

*  
From: "Cassidy Meyers" Date: Sun Jan 29, 2006 2:00 am Subject: Good Things Come In Small Packages...

"He's gotta get down now!" Johnny shouted to Roy and the cringing doctor. "We won't make it running away from here if we're carrying him!"

Baldwin swiftly began wrapping Stuart's legs together with his belt. "I got some mailing bubble wrap in my pack.  
Between that and the straps off of it, I'll splint his legs well enough to keep his pressure in compensation for any rough hauling. You guys just get that rope I set over there ready for him."  
said Lance, reaching into his emergency satchel for a nasopharyngeal airway. "I got this working..." he said firmly,  
threading the rubber tube into Stuart's nose to secure him better breathing wise.

Roy heard a shout of panic drift up to the ledge.

It was Lou, yelling louder than ever. "Get down! Get down from there!" screamed the ranch hand. "The trees are going up! It's a fire storm!"

Thick smoke billowed in like a sour fog, blocking their view of the horse trail utterly and the heat began to build.

A sputtering spark alighted in Johnny's hair as he worked to fashion a fast, crude body harness. He uttered a cry and fell to the ground as he used the sandy dirt to snuff it out.

"You ok?!" DeSoto coughed.

"I'm fine. Just keep working..*choke*. We may bake for a while here lowering him down, but at least in all this wind, we've got air to breathe." Gage puffed, getting to his feet and shaking dirt from his head.

"I can think of worse ways of dying as a firefighter." Roy quipped,  
grinning. "But I never thought I'd find myself wishing that the Santa Ana winds would keep on blowing."

'Yeah, well that's one wish I'll join in on wholeheartedly."  
Johnny said, tying one last knot into their improvised rope harness.  
"All right, my side's done. Let's get this on him."

Lance was folded on the ground, sucking in the cool air uprising into the fire. Stubbornly, he had kept the oxygen on Stuart while he waited for DeSoto and Gage to finish their preparations.

Roy crawled over to him. "If you're short of breath, go ahead and use his O2. You can't rescue anybody if you let yourself get into trouble first." he told the doctor as he peeled off the young man's mask to hand it to him.

"Wait! What are you--.." Lance protested. But then he accepted that firefighter lesson instantly when the oxygen Roy suddenly pressed to his face drove away a bad wave of dizziness. He let his face drop nose down into the dirt as it left him.

"You ok?" Roy asked him, pulling himself nearer. "It's gonna take all three of us to handle his weight with all this bad air around." he said,  
keeping the mask in place. "Is this helping?...Baldwin?...Hey.." He started to call out when Baldwin didn't move or reply right away.  
"..Johnny.."

The doctor held up a just-give-me-a-minute finger without lifting his head as he started coughing, trying to get his lungs free of the acrid smoke. "I'm.....*gag* ...fine. Don't slow ....your partner down at all." he whispered.  
Then he rolled over onto his back and took three more breaths off the oxygen mask Roy was holding for him. "I don't have a pair of firemen's lungs yet like you two seem to have. Guess I'm.....just unlucky enough to be in the wrong kind of business here." he grunted uncomfortably.

Roy bent lower, watching him closely. "Do you have asthma or any other kind of COPD I should know about?"

"No." Lance lied.

DeSoto wasn't fooled.  
"I'll give you a minute more on that. Then we have to---"

"I'm ready now.." Lance said, sitting up abruptly. He pulled off the mask. "Give this back to him for a bit. Until he's over the edge.  
Then we can take it and save it for our trip down, ok?" he begged DeSoto. With an effort, he suppressed his coughing long enough to show Roy that he could still control his breathing rate.

Gage suddenly reappeared and dragged himself into their midst through a thick plume of smoke. "Stuart's set. Gimme that." he said,  
reaching for the oxygen.

Lance gave it to him.

Johnny took a few pulls and pushed it back. "Here, set it back on him.  
Roy doesn't need it yet."

With a sober look, Baldwin did it. Stuart's color improved visibly a few seconds later. "He's feeling this smoke, too. I still say we should keep the tank on him."

"Lance, he's not breathing as deeply as we are. He's got more tolerance then we do right now believe it or not. He'll do fine for a while. Just help Roy and me roll him over the edge. I've thrown a rock. The others saw its impact so they know we're still all right and that he's coming down."  
Gage snapped.

Lance tried to smile. "Imagine that. A paramedic's finally giving orders to a physician."

"I won't tell if you won't." Johnny quipped with the same brave smile.

They got to work.

Roy added more. "I got a note tied around Stuart's arm saying to send up our last pack, Johnny."

"Good, we're gonna need it." Gage said quietly, scared.

"Need what?" Baldwin asked.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jimmy Colorado and Lou managed to lay Stuart down on the trail in between the horses. They cut his rope away to save time and they saw Roy's note.

The smallish square green pack was soon secured by its hook to the hauling line still disappearing up the cliff's face in the thickening smoke. The ranch hand gave the line a firm couple of jerks.

Slowly, foot by foot, the pack was retrieved.

"What are they doing now asking for that?" Jimmy wondered as he knelt by Stuart's head to keep tabs on his condition.

"I don't know. Maybe they're pulleys or something so all three of them can rappel down from there all at once." Lou shrugged.

"They'd better hurry. The fire's burning right down to them. If they don't get out of there soon..." Colorado said.

"Easy, son, don't get all worked up over nothing. Have a little faith. Those are firemen up there. I'm sure that they probably know what they're doing.  
Think about it. If they didn't, they never even would have made the trip up there to try and save this guy." chuckled Lou. But then his face lost all trace of humor after they both lost sight of the dragging bundle knotted at the end of the rope.

Above them, the fire began to roar like an angry waterfall.

They were forced to retreat many yards down the trail towards the roadside.

::Please be ok. Please.:: Lou thought privately as he desperately tried to peer through the huge bank of smoke twisting visciously into the sky.

Then the tongues of flame began to rise higher than the trees.

"Oh mother of--!" Colorado gasped as they watched in a panic.  
"Lou, please tell me they're good enough to survive even this." he moaned softly.

The horses behind them panicked, straining against their reins tied to a tree.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Photo: *Animation*: A firefighter pulling up a mylar shelter around himself and falling to the ground.

*  
From: Sam Iam and Cory Anda  
Date: Sun Jan 29, 2006 10:39 am Subject: Plume From Heaven..

"That'll be up to the wind, Jimmy. It's holding all the cards now."

"The ....wind..?" Colorado murmured. "Oh, the wind. Yeah.  
uh, right." he said weakily, sagging to the ground next to Stuart. "This man's still alive. And he's....breathing ok for us." he said taking a wrist pulse with his other hand on top of Stuart's stomach.

"That's good. You just keep on thinking positive thoughts,  
son. It'll work out in the end for those paramedics 'cause that's just the way things follow through for guys like them." Lou said with a fervor he didn't feel.

Then the horses' frightened chorus whinneys splintered off key under some new growing sounds. The sounds of fire department sirens......

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Up on the ledge, Gage was clawing at the pack blindly because he couldn't see very well at all through the smoke, but he was smiling. "Roy, that's 105! And our engine. I know those sounds ....*cough* anywhere."

"105's the magic number we were waiting for, junior. She's gonna be our ticket outta here." Roy was just as quick to help him while Baldwin conserved his strength lying on his side. Lance's face was overhanging the ledge inside the stream of speeding fresh air flowing up the mountain. And Roy was still firmly sitting on the rope tied around the doctor's waist."Let's hope she's faster than the fire, Johnny. I don't wanna have to use the brand new aces up our sleeves."

"What? Don't you trust 110's brush captain to come up with another smart, effective invention like he's apparently done? I don't know about you but I'm awfully glad we commissioned to get some of his new FS's. Those brush assignment boys of his alone swear up and down that these things work like a charm."

"I don't wanna tempt fate any more than I have to." Roy told him softly, coughing.

Johnny forcibly turned Roy's head with his hands until he had DeSoto looking directly up into the inferno enveloping the doctor's plane and campsite. "Just look at what we're gonna face, Roy. In about three minutes we won't have much choice to do anything else about it." Gage said loudly. "Come on. No use whining now. We got these. And I know you're really glad you have em, too. I know you are, ...somewhere." he said unconvincingly. "You always trust new technology whenever it's handed to us. Just like I do. You knew that when we got up here or you never would have written that note we sent down with our victim."

It had taken half a minute to explain why there wasn't time enough for anyone to climb down the clifftop. DeSoto could still remember the end of their conversation.

"....The ropes will catch on fire and burn through with us only half way down. Think about it, doctor. Do you want to end up like Stuart or worse?" Roy had asked. "We're far better off sticking around and waiting for help to arrive."

Lance had shut up after that. He no longer said anything much at all.  
Neither did he attempt to cover up the obvious fact that he was slipping further into a bad asthma attack. He just crawled over to the ledge's lip and rested there on his stomach, gasping. It was as good a solution as any. Cold air usually worked for him. ::Now why didn't I grab my inhaler along with the plane's emergency surgical kit?:: he wondered.

Johnny broke Roy out of his reflections with a smack of a plastic bound package against his chest. "Open yours. I'll open mine. And then we'll both tell him how to use his. Is he still conscious?"

"Yeah. He's trying to get a hold on his fright right now so he doesn't tighten up worse than he already is." DeSoto replied, keeping a hand on the doctor's respirations where he lay. He tapped him. "Baldwin,..." he said. "Come on and get on your feet. We gotta show you something.  
Real fast. And yes, it's gonna save our lives here. I can read your mind."

The two paramedics opened up billowing silver triangles of mylar supported with tent shaped wire frames and both of them stepped onto elastic cords stretched across the ends of their fire shelters. "Here. Do what we're doing now. Grab a tight hold of yours so the wind doesn't pull it out of your hands."  
Johnny told Lance.

"What? I don't--"

"These are emergency fire tents, doctor. It'll block out all the flames. No matter how hot it gets outside, inside these, it'll only be 275 degrees.. Just pull it over yourself once you get on the ground and let it cover you completely. Like a tent would."

"Wonderful." said the gasping doctor, getting to his feet. He soon caught up with them on setting up his own experimental fire shelter. "That solves the fricasee problem, but what about ....the air ..*gasp* ..we need to breathe?"

"That where she come in.." Gage said happily, pointing downwards through the smoke just as a loud klaxon burst through the roar of the fire.  
He stuck out one of his hands that contained a flare gun and he fired it off away from the mountain where he knew it would arch in clear air and be seen. "105's already on the job. Just get in. Get in!" he urged as he dropped to the ground "Doctor, you're on your own now." he warned. "The fire's here! Trust us. These will buy us the time we desperately need." Then Johnny disappeared underneath his shelter. Roy had already done so under his silver triangle of flimsy seeming mylar. "Just relax and breathe slow off the oxygen's tank once you're under it." shouted his voice through the shiny material.

Baldwin finally decided to use his emergency fire shelter moments before a wall of fire, dipping on the wind, covered him utterly in a snarling blast of red hot flames.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Captain Stanley got out of the Ward LaFrance and instantly, his face turned toward the mountain as he felt the others gather around his side.  
"Chet, Marco. Circle around and see if you can spot where they are up there.  
Bellingham, Brice, and I will start this man's care until 84's squad gets here to help us out." he said opening the squad's medical gear doors. "Stoker,  
get our water hooked up to 105's pump immediately."

"Right." said 51's engineer.

"Cap. I hope they're doing ok. This fire looks like she's shaping up into a bad one." Marco said. "They managed to find the hiker and get him out ok, but they might not get so lucky here."

"Yeah, well, it might not be so bad yet. The only tinder's up there on top. A point in our favor always.. concerning coastal pines like these. Get going up the trail. Chet's already heading towards the ocean." Hank told him. "Radio to 105 with a new orientation if you see any signs or anything at all about where they are." he said with a full, quiet worry coloring his voice.

"Got it." said Lopez, gripping his HT even tighter. He ran off away from the light smoke pouring off the mountain slope.

Station 105 continued to prepare for her rapid rescue.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kelly had pushed through a thick bush when he spotted a blood bright flare as it came bursting out of the rising smoke column above the canopy blaze. He froze in his crouch and started yelling into his handy talkie.  
"HT 51 to Laddertruck 105. I've got a flare! Seventy five feet above you directly. See it? The wind's pushing it westward rapidly."

##We see it and we're shifting position. Our bucket's live and all aerial hose lines are charged. ETA to your men's elevation, one minute.##

"Come on, come on. Burn those hydraulics, captain." Chet mumbled as he started running back for the engines and squad. "These are my personal friends' butts we're bailing.." he said to himself.

-  
The tall, pure white, swan like neck of the Addison on Ladder Truck 105 rose high into the sunny air and was soon bissected by the fire's thick brown smoke. Her operator was uneffected, wearing full scba. Even before the full panel directed height was reached, the bucket man plumed his hose on full force stream into a massive fan. Supported by Engine 51's ample supply, he sent tons of water down onto the mountainside over the invisible ledge the flare had apparently fired from. The falling water snuffed out the rising flames in great fountaining hisses and suddenly, three singed, deployed silver fire shelters became visible.  
"I don't believe it." he muttered. "They managed to get em up in time. But who's under the third shell?"

Still providing cooling cover in a curtain, he lowered his bucket to the rocky shelf and landed on it with a thud. "Hey, can anybody hear me? Rise and shine!"

-  
Johnny Gage was firmly delivering breaths, using the ladder bucket's positive pressure demand valve, to Doctor Baldwin. The small oxygen tank that Lance had used had run bone dry. Then the smoke had done the rest of its suffocating work. Roy was on 105's HT. "Cap! Get permission for albuterol and a tracheal intubation a.s.a.p. We've a status asthmaticus. Acute!"

##Brice's got Brackett on the horn. I'll relay.## replied Hank.

There were no sweeter words Roy could have heard right then, except those.

Baldwin and Stuart would live to fly another day.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Photo: A ladder truck with its aerial deployed delivering water.

Photo: 105's bucket cannon in a close up.

Photo: A rescue flare firing off into the sky.

Photo: Chet Kelly radioing into his HT under bushes.

Photo: A man in a cowboy hat, sitting in the grass.

Photo: A laddertruck coming up a dusty hill.

Photo: A bucket in active resuscitation, touching down.

Photo: A fire shelter victim lying in an upturned mylar tent.

*  
From: Patti or Jeff or Cassidy Date: Sun Jan 29, 2006 9:31 pm Subject: Walk Like A Man...

It was Saturday. Six weeks later.

And things were definitely looking up at the Beer-A-Bye-Bye club in uptown L.A. The entire A shift, plus four others, were with their associated dates or spouses at tables surrounding the talent night open stage where Jimmy Colorado was holding the last newspaper promised concert of the year, in California.

It was intermission, at the half way point, which allowed time for the down to earth singer to rest and drink water to get set for the more vocally intense second half of his one man show.

"Johnny, you are absolutely right about him." murmured Joanne DeSoto about Jimmy Colorado. "His music makes you want to smile or cry in the blink of an eye. And I'm not one to be swayed easily that way."

"Sure you are." said Roy. "You weep listening to classical music all the time while you do the dusting..." he insisted.

"That's not because of the music, you ninny. You know I have a dust allergy. I turn on that music so I can distract myself from sneezing. If I didn't do that every week, the housecleaning would never get done." Joanne laughed.

"Really.. so I married an insensitive domesticator? That's news to me."  
Roy grinned, biting into a Cheetos nugget from the woven snacking basket in front of him.

"Oh, you..." Joanne said, smacking Roy affectionately on the shoulder in mock insult.

Dixie and Kel Brackett had overheard and McCall whispered to Joanne.  
"Jimmy's singing effects me the same way and I first heard him a capella."

Nearby, Kelly sat with his sister and he leaned into Johnny secretly. "Psst. Hey, Gage." he said, pretending to tie the laces on his splashy two toned shoes.

"What?!" Johnny replied in irritation at his coworker. He was deeply into making ga-ga eyes at his date, the EMT from Schaeffer's.

"Is that Matilda Emily Lynn Volskeld? Man, is she a looker.." and Chet gave him a thumbs up before he leaned back into the darkness once more to give them a little privacy to continue on with what they were doing.

Johnny Gage just smiled with a smug modest look and started kissing his date once again over a glass of red wine. "Thanks. I think she's real nice, too. That's why I brought her here tonight, Chet." he whispered.

Mel blinked quizzically when they finally broke apart. "Who are you talking too?"

"Nobody as important as you are to me right now." he said cheekily sly,  
sipping his wine without looking over at Kelly.

"Aww, that's so sweet." Mel said, and she gave Gage another peck on the lips.

"Way to go to charm the ladies.." came another silky voice from the darkness on Johnny's other side. It was Craig Brice, still relaxing at his own table.

Johnny turned around to grin at him, too, when he realized that Brice's date,  
who had been late, had finally arrived.

"Hi, Johnny.." said a familiar bubbly blonde. It was Valerie, the three kid single mom who's dating stint with Johnny ended horribly during her oldest child's dog bite rescue call.

Gage did an unpleasant double take. "Uh, hi." He said the first thing that came to mind. "Uh, I hope you enjoy the rest of the show, Valerie. Glad you could come..." Then he turned right back around, with social niceties satisfied. Then he thought very softly to himself. ::First thing I'm gonna do tommorrow morning is get Valerie's picture out from behind Smokey the Bear's poster in my locker. If Craig finds out that I have that still:  
he shuddered.

"Oh Jimmy's dreamy, Johnny. And his voice is, too. How many albums did you say he has out already?" asked Valerie innocently.

"Two." Johnny replied, trying to smile at Mel again over his wine glass, without turning around. He could feel his lips pursing angrily at the further interruption.

"You know, I think I'm gonna go out later this week to go buy them myself."  
Valerie tittered. "I never realized that I could get into country tunes.."  
Then she mercifully turned back to Brice, and started snuggling a blush overbrushed cheek against his shoulder.

Johnny had a further thought. ::Should I warn Brice about her?:: Then his better half decided discretion was the better part of valor. ::Oh, well. No one warned me.  
Experience is the best teacher they always say.:: he said giving a mock mini toast to the air as he sipped his Cabernet solo at the idea.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The MC for the club got back on the microphone parked on the black varnished stool sitting center stage. He was wearing a Woodstock tie dye T-Shirt with a peace symbol in metal on a chain around his neck. He had a red biker's bandana tied around his forehead but his hair was nothing like a biker's, it was close trimmed with elegant sideburns. "Hello all, I hope you all got the right burger orders. We have a new waitress on the floor tonight."  
he joked, pointing at the bar's newest employee just to embarrass her." No,  
really folks, Peggy from Anaheim did just fine on her first night waiting tables.  
Please show your ...appreciation ...the best way you know how later on, she thinks she's going to med school in the fall..." he teased. Peggy blushed even brighter.  
"It's almost time once again for this evening's very special guest performer to return onstage to finish the very latest repetoire of previously unheard and soon-to-debut radio songs. Ladies and gentlmen, remember that you heard them first right here at the classic, Beer-A-Bye-Bye in wonderful uptown L.A. I give you once again... the one, the only, Jimmy Colorado, folks."  
and he started applauding in cowed respectful admiration as the singer, still limping lightly, came out from behind the wings with a bright blue guitar to take over. He sat down on the black stool, returning the microphone back to its mic stand in front of him.

Jimmy sat down with a bit of stiffness from lingering muscle aches. He politely acknowledged the over enthusiastic whistles and applause coming from his fans and invited firehouse and hospital guests. Then he began to speak.  
"You know. I'm going to be honest with you tonight if I may."

"Sssure... Gao ahead!" yelled one drunk audience member. "I'm listhening.."

Colorado chuckled when he spotted the tipsy man, after shading his eyes from the spotlight. "Ok, guess I can dump out just about anything now. Thanks."  
he said cheekily with a touch of shy embarrassment. Then his expression sobered into one of serious gratitude. "There was a good chance, a very good chance a few weeks ago, that a bit of a mishap could have kept me from performing here tonight for this show or for any other future one, for that matter, if it hadn't've been for a bunch of good, kind folks who helped me out of the unexpected rut I had suddenly found myself in."

Cries of dismay from the younger adolescent crowd burst through but Jimmy staved them off with a reassuring hand. "I'm fine now. Really. Thanks. I can only say that ...that ..I have a truly new sense of appreciation for all kinds of music these days, .. and especially for my own, ..because of them. So I figured I'd return the favor, doing a good deed......for ...a good deed received. Johnny.. could you come up here for a moment? ....Folks? Is Johnny Gage out there in the audience tonight?"

Johnny looked pinned but he finally stood in his seat when the roving spot light located him when an overeager Chet showed the techie where to point it.

"Ah, he is. Come on, don't be shy now. Because I know you're not. I've seen how you work." Colorado quipped.

That brought a spate of laughter from the firehouse and hospital portion of the crowd.

Jimmy then gestured to a stage hand to come on out with a second stool, microphone.. and....Chet's beat up, hastily polished guitar.

Captain Stanley quailed, along with the rest of 51's gang. They all remembered what had happened the last time Gage had a guitar in his hand.

"Oh, no.." Kelly moaned. "He's gonna make a fool out of himself. He can't play worth a dime.." he hissed at Lopez.

"Should we stop him?" Marco asked Chet.

Stoker shushed them both into silence.

Bill McConnikee just winked from a rear table in back of the club where he sat with his wife in a private booth. He raised his glass in a toast to Johnny before Gage stepped onto the stage and into the pastel lights splashing sparkles across the black tiled floor.

Johnny wasn't nervous at all. In fact, he appeared almost....smug,  
and everyone he knew soon began to wonder .....why.

But then Jimmy Colorado started talking again. "I'm sure some of you are scratching your heads right about now, wondering what I'm up to.. and this is it." He started to strum a few chords of a new never heard before ballad when he remembered something." Oh, sorry.  
I've forgotten someone. Craig Brice? I hope you remembered your bongo set. I haven't forgotten that you helped me teach him everything he now knows." the singer said mysteriously with a wink at the front tables.

"Everyone, Johnny here is about to accompany me, playing on his guitar, during a very, very special new piece that's growing to mean a completely whole new world to me. He helped me come up with the melody during these past few weeks...while I finally got all the words down on paper. These lyrics came to me believe it or not...while I was watching someone struggling to live....during a brush fire.  
"Folks, without further delay,.. we bring you the next main signature song from my as yet to come third album,......Ladies and Gentlemen, This...is 'Windsong.'" smiled Jimmy.

The gang from 51 cringed as the first notes of the tune started to emerge from Johnny's fingertips but the jarring they were all expecting,  
never arrived. As one, the two guitarists stroked, chord for chord and then they broke off into independent, bright, melody and harmony, interweaving call and responses as the opening measures began, with Craig Brice's soft bongos delivering a light, lilting tempo.

Under the rainbow show lights, Brice and Colorado almost looked like....twins.

"When did Gage learn how to play like that?" Kelly asked everybody, thoroughly dumbstruck. He sat forward and shook his head a little, not believing his ears as perfect, professional quality musicianship, filled him with ....actual wonder.

"Guess he got a few lessons in somewhere along the line. Jimmy did mention that Brice and Gage were in on the song's creation. For that matter,  
I think Bill McConnikee was in on some of it, too. Did you see the odd way he raised his glass to--" Marco guessed.

"Shhh...." hissed Hank, ending the conversation most effectively.

Very soon after, the whole club was carried away, lost in the delicate power and beauty of Colorado's newest song. It was surely destined to become one of the most popular tunes he wrote that year.

Inwardly, Johnny Gage tried not to smile too big......when it was over.

He took the following standing ovation, like a man.

Episode Twenty Nine- Where The Wind Blows

FIN

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Photos: None.

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Where The Wind Blows

:) This episode is dedicated to the multi-platinum American )  
singer John Denver, who died suddenly in an experimental plane crash in October 1997. His messages of tolerance and environmental awareness still ring joyfully in the songs he created for each and every one of us to enjoy. His works still transcend far beyond his own death. He moves us still into realizing the spirit of life fully while all who listen to his music continue to be captivated by the power of his voice.

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